The Cleveland Browns have been so bad for so long that it is understandable that the rest of the NFL would circle any game against the Browns as an easy win.

Now that the Browns have actually reached a point where they are no longer the league’s punching bag, people are getting a bit concerned.

And the fact that they are doing it with Baker Mayfield, a rookie quarterback who works hard but refuses to play by the conventional rules, has clearly put some people off their feed.

It’s all fun and games until the tables are turned.. Just hope that No.6 responds well when opponents bark back.. We’ve never applauded any other QB when they’ve talked trash or celebrated like a “skill player”.. It’s just different from the “presidential” QB approach https://t.co/IL1CCjmyPJ — Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) December 26, 2018

Mayfield has done everything asked of him and everything he promised on draft night. He has re-ignited a fan base that has been desperate for something to cheer for after the last 20 years of ineptitude. He helped keep the team focused in the wake of the Hue Jackson disaster. And he has brought a level of excitement and anticipation to the field that has been missing for far too long.

Most importantly, Mayfield has done it the only way he knows how — his way. He puts in the work during the week, and when that work pays off on Sundays he is not shy about celebrating.

Which is why it is hard to understand when people have a problem with Mayfield.

The good part — outside of the fact that Mayfield plays for the Browns - is that he is not going to change his approach for anyone. Mayfield hit the subject head on when asked about it on Wednesday, according to clevelandbrowns.com:

“Everybody is different. I have said it, I am not a cookie-cutter quarterback. Everybody leads a different way. Everybody is competitive in a different way. I am not trying to be anybody else. I have been who I am. That is what has gotten me here, and I am going to continue to do that because I try to improve every week. I have that same mindset. That is why I said a couple of weeks ago that I am not trying to get anybody’s approval. I am trying to win football games and do this for as long as I can. That is the goal. The guys inside of this locker room know that. They know that I would fight for them. They know that I would take a bullet for them. To me, that is what matters. I do not have to make any friends outside of this locker room. I am not trying to do that. Once they are in here, they know exactly what they are going to get. That is what really matters.”

Mayfield made it to the NFL because of his talent, but also because he worked his butt off and played the game the only way he knew how.

That is paying off for the Browns, and to quote Mayfield himself, “that is what really matters.”

The rest of the NFL is just going to have to learn to deal with it, because with Mayfield running the offense, the days of the Browns being an easy win on the schedule appear to finally be over.