1 of 4 | Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield needed just 2:13 to score on his team's opening drive during a win against the Washington Redskins on Thursday in Cleveland. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI |
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Aug. 9 (UPI) -- Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a dime touchdown pass to Rashard Higgins and led his team on a 2:13 scoring drive to open up a preseason victory against the Washington Redskins.
Mayfield completed 5-of-6 pass attempts for 77 yards on the opening drive during the 30-10 win Thursday at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland. Higgins led all receivers with 98 yards and a score on five catches. Browns receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry did not play in the preseason game.
"It is great," Mayfield told reporters. "We have to have guys. We always say 'next man up.' We have to have that mentality. Whoever is in there has to have success and have to be able to play.
"Just having those guys out there and doing well that first drive, means a lot. We will go back and watch the tape. We weren't perfect at all, but a lot of things to work on but a lot of good things that happened today."
The top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft began the game with an incomplete pass before he got hot. Mayfield went with no huddle after the incompletion. He hooked up with Nick Chubb for 14 yards on his second throw. Chubb then ran 12 yards for another first down. Mayfield connected with Dontrell Hilliard for 14 yards and another first down.
He found Hilliard again on his next toss, completing a 14-yard pass for another first down. Mayfield then lined up for a 1st-and-10 play from the Washington 24-yard-line. He took the snap and dropped back to pass. Mayfield eyed Higgins in the slot before firing a rocket between a pair of defenders and finding his target in the end zone for six points.
"The plan was to go to our two-minute offense," Higgins said. "I don't know if it was to try and catch those guys off guard, but we wanted to do the two-minute offense to see how we would do. We did a hell of a job tonight."
Redskins backup quarterback Case Keenum threw a passing score two drives later to tie the game. The Browns scored on an interception return before adding a field goal before the half. Washington made a field goal on its opening drive of the third quarter.
Browns backup David Blough threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dewery Montgomery in the fourth quarter before the Browns scored their final touchdown on a Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi 86-yard punt return.
Redskins rookie Dwayne Haskins completed 8-of-14 pass attempts for 117 yards and two interceptions. Backup Garrett Gilbert completed 14-of-22 passes for 135 yards for the Browns.
"It was good, I had some good plays to learn from, but it was good," Haskins said.
The Browns battle the Indianapolis Colts at 4 p.m. EDT on Aug. 17 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Redskins host the Cincinnati Bengals in their next preseason game at 7:30 p.m. EDT Thursday at FedExField in Landover, Md.
"I thought it was a good [opening] drive," Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said. "We did not have a third down. We were working our two-minute offense. I thought that was what they were supposed to do. They are supposed to get completions and big chunk plays.
"When we hand the ball off, we are supposed to block for [Chubb]. I thought we did a good job outside, inside and everywhere. It was a really nice first drive."
