‘That both teams are seemingly good now — more on that adverb in a bit — is directly related to Mayfield and Allen both having been drafted in 2018. This is a trite observation, but also true: building a good football team simply has to start with acquiring a strong quarterback. Neither Mayfield nor Allen became instant stars, but each showed flashes enough over their first two seasons to make their fans believe that if they weren’t quite the Messiah, they were at least on speaking terms with him. But 2020 also felt like it would be a turning point for both of them. Mayfield and the Browns had regressed significantly in his second season, and while Allen had proven himself to be a spectacular athletic talent, he was still not that great at the actual passing of the football. Which seemed like a problem.’