Baker Mayfield and Josh Gordon at a recent Browns practice in Berea. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Browns had a whirlwind week, beginning with the Josh Gordon ordeal and ending with Baker Mayfield claiming the starting job sooner than expected.

It included two games, one on the road against the Saints that they could've won with a better kicker, and a 21-17 come-from-behind victory against the Jets in Mayfield's coming -out party four days later.

Gordon, traded along with a 2019 seventh-round pick to the Patriots for a 2019 fifth-round pick, is set to make his New England debut tomorrow night in Detroit.

And Mayfield will make his first NFL start Sept. 30 in Oakland, where he'll oppose another quarterback the Browns passed on in Derek Carr.

The official announcement on Mayfield will come on Monday after coach Hue Jackson has a chance to talk the quarterbacks in person.

Here are some things to know about Mayfield and Gordon:

By Mary Kay Cabot

cleveland.com

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Mayfield celebrates with Rashard Higgins after catching a 2-point pass. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

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1. Mayfield's waiting was an organizational decision

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Jackson acknowledged after the Jets game that he and GM John Dorsey collaborated on the decision to sit Mayfield until they were sure the team around him was solid enough to support a rookie.

Dorsey had lived through Aaron Rodgers sitting for three years behind Brett Favre in Green Bay and watched Pat Mahomes wait a year behind Alex Smith in Kansas City after he helped draft him. Jackson was coming off consecutive years of Cody Kessler (0-8) and DeShone Kizer (0-15).

Mahomes, the hottest quarterback in the NFL through the first two weeks, told si.com last week how beneficial it was to wait.

"Just in preparation, the mental side of the game, I definitely benefited," Mahomes said. "Being able to watch how teams made adjustments, and then how we made adjustments to the defense, how we'd figure out what blitzes they were bringing, how to protect them, it definitely helped me in the game [against the Chargers]. It's knowing how to operate the huddle, and then being able to go out there and execute the game plan how it's supposed to be run."

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The Browns o-line was unsettled. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

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2. Why didn't they scrap the plan when it was obvious Mayfield was better?

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For starters, the Browns were forced to start the season with an undrafted and unproven rookie at left tackle in Desmond Harrison, who sat out three full years of football before playing at Division II West Georgia last year.

If Joe Thomas hadn't retired, I'm convinced they would've started Mayfield right away.

The truth is, they didn't want to get him seriously hurt. The Browns would've gotten hammered had they started Mayfield against the Steelers and he blew out a knee on a sack by Cam Heyward or Bud Dupree.

The Browns knew that starting Harrison was risky and that he'd have some growing pains. What's more, they had a new right tackle in Chris Hubbard. The thinking was that Taylor would be able to read the defense quicker or scramble out of trouble. He'd already demonstrated he could absorb a blow.

The Browns didn't want to risk their franchise QB's health until they knew what Harrison could do.

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Mayfield congratulates Jarvis Landry after the Browns victory. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

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3. The receivers were in a state of flux, too

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In addition to new offensive tackles, the Browns were also in a state of flux at wide receiver. Corey Coleman had been traded to the Bills (and subsequently released by the Bills and Patriots and then added to New England's practice squad); and Gordon was just starting to practice after missing all of training camp while in rehab and then sitting out with a hamstring until Sept. 3 -- six days before the Steelers game.

Antonio Callaway was still getting up to speed after missing time in camp with a groin injury, and no one knew how Todd Haley's offense would come together.

Besides, what the Browns didn't know at the time was that they'd have a defense that could support a rookie. The Browns already have 11 takeaways this season, two fewer than all of last season. The bad news is they've scored only 13 points off those takeaways, which is one reason they'll name Mayfield their starter on Monday.

In 2 1/2 games, Taylor completed only 48.8 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and two interceptions for a 63.7 rating.

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Mayfield acknowledges fans after the victory. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

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4. So when was Mayfield slated to start?

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When it became apparent in the first two games that Taylor wasn't getting the job done, as evidenced in part by only 10 points off eight takeaways, the Browns were likely eyeing the Raiders game Sept. 30 in Oakland as the possible starting point for Mayfield.

They didn't have time to prepare for the Jets game, only four days after returning home from New Orleans. But the 10 days between the Jets and Raiders games was a prime opportunity to get Mayfield his initial first-team reps of the season and ready for his starting debut.

Originally, the Browns would've been happy to keep Mayfield on the bench until at least after the bye week Nov. 25 in Cincinnati, but 30 net yards passing in the first half against Pittsburgh, 65 against the Saints and minus-11 against the Jets by Taylor wasn't cutting it.

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Mayfield congratulates Carlos Hyde after his 2nd TD vs. the Jets. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com)Mary Kay Cabot mcabot@cleveland.

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5. Would Mayfield have played if Taylor had been cleared from the concussion?

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With Taylor completing only 4-of-14 passes for a net of minus-11 yards in the first half, there's no way Mayfield wasn't going to replace him in the Jets game. At home, on national television in a winnable game against a rookie quarterback, it was going to be Baker Time regardless of whether or not Taylor was healthy. In essence, the Mayfield Era got started only about a half earlier than it probably would have.

The Browns will now devise a gameplan to showcase Mayfield's strengths, incorporating some of the things that made him successful at Oklahoma.

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Ex-Browns QB Josh McCown congratulates Mayfield. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

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6. Why didn't Jackson announce it right away?

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Jackson wasn't about to walk into the locker room after the game and tell a concussed player that he lost his job.

Then, he gave the players the weekend off and everyone dispersed after the game. The next time he'll see them is on Monday, and as soon as he has a chance to tell Taylor and Mayfield that Mayfield is starting, he'll make the announcement.

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Gordon catches a pass at Browns practice. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

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7. Why did the Browns really part ways with Gordon? Was it the hamstring?

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No, it wasn't the hamstring. Yes, Gordon did come in on Saturday and tell the Browns that he tweaked his hamstring while filming a promotional video on Friday night at the Browns' facility. But no, that's not the reason they severed ties with him.

Granted, they weren't happy about the hamstring and how that all went down, but the final straw was Gordon showing up at the facility about 10 minutes late Saturday and "not himself.''

Some felt that he had slipped in his recovery program, after just returning Aug. 18 from another stint in treatment at the University of Florida.

On Friday night, he attended the dedication of the Lorain Titans' football field, donated by the Browns. The club then gave him permission to film the video inside their fieldhouse, believing that having him there was better than him being out somewhere on a Friday night. But they didn't know he'd be shooting until almost midnight, and that he'd be running 40s. They believed it was a fashion shoot to promote his clothing line.

Still, the video and the hamstring weren't the reason the Browns cut ties. They believed he was still struggling to stay sober, and they felt they had done all they could.

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Gordon catches a pass at Patriots practice. (Steven Senne, AP)

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8. Why hasn't the NFL intervened?

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If it's true that Gordon slipped, why didn't the NFL get involved? Chances are, it did. The Browns likely shared their observations with the league, and the NFL probably acted accordingly. The Browns were always in close contact with the NFL about Gordon's status, and the two parties worked together on his treatment plan.

Gordon is subject to random testing up to 10 times per month, and a violation of the substance-abuse policy could result in another indefinite suspension. But the league also seems to be trending more toward rehabilitation than discipline in regards to substance abuse.

If Gordon remains clean and sober, the Patriots will get the best version of him. But some close to the situation are skeptical about that happening.

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Gordon at Patriots practice. (Steven Senne, AP)

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9. Why did the Browns give him away?

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They were fully prepared to release him on Monday, and therefore, they were willing to take anything they could get in a trade. They did have interest from multiple teams, including San Francisco, Dallas and Washington, but the Patriots made them the best offer, a 2019 fifth-rounder in exchange for Gordon and a conditional 2019 seventh.

When the Patriots sought to have the condition removed from the seventh - that Gordon must be active for at least 10 games for the Browns to surrender the pick - the Browns agreed because they were going to cut him anyway.

Getting a fifth and giving back a seventh equals receiving a sixth from the draft value chart. But even if another team had offered a sixth, the Browns likely preferred the fifth/seventh scenario for a chance to pick higher.

Regardless, with the emergence of Antonio Callaway, they felt this was addition by subtraction and that they were better off without Gordon.