Austin native Baker Mayfield appreciated Colt McCoy’s Texas game; compliments Daniel Jones – cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — CLEVELAND, Ohio — Baker Mayfield’s disdain for the his hometown Texas Longhorns is well-documented, but he couldn’t help but appreciate Colt McCoy’s game when he was growing up in Austin.

McCoy, the Browns’ third-round pick in 2010, might get the start Sunday night against the Browns if Daniel Jones isn’t healthy. Jones is recovering from a hamstring injury and also now has a sprained ankle.

“I was never a Texas fan, but I did appreciate the way Colt played,’’ Mayfield said. “He’s a winner, there’s no doubt about that. Everything he did for that program, obviously being right in the backyard of it we, saw all of it. He’s a winner. He led his team all the time. I followed him closely because (former Browns backup quarterback) Garrett Gilbert who was with us, one of my friends who was Colt’s backup his freshman year. I’ve always respected Colt. He’s a winner. He is a great guy.”

Like Mayfield, McCoy did nothing but win in college, going 45-8 in 53 career starts at Texas to set the NCAA record for victories at the time. McCoy and Mayfield are also similar in size and playing style.

“I’d say that the playmaking ability, just making things happen,’’ Mayfield said. “You look at some of his plays, there’s been not been anything there and he has created something. I think that is a similarity.”

McCoy, who did enough to help the Giants upset the Seahawks 17-12 two weeks ago, went 6-15 as a started with the Browns in 2010 and 2011, throwing 21 touchdowns and 20 interceptions on bad teams that went 5-11 and 4-12.

Mayfield on Daniel Jones

Mayfield had high praise for Daniel Jones, the No. 6 overall pick last season out of Duke.

“Because we’re playing their division this year, seeing more of his stuff on tape just from studying our film,’’ Mayfield said. “I think he’s doing a great job, I really do. Giving his guys chances. Putting them in a position to win. And like we talked about earlier, about using my legs to move to first down and move the markers, he does such a great job of doing that. When he wants to tuck it and run, he can move. Now I do not know about the finishing part when he tripped up to the 5-yard line (joking) but he can move.”

Mayfield and Jones cleared the air after Mayfield was quoted by GQ as saying he couldn’t believe the Giants drafted Jones. Mayfield said he was taken out of context and later cleared the air with Jones.

Mayfield will reach out to Odell Beckham Jr. this week

Knowing how much this game would’ve meant to Odell Beckham Jr., Mayfield will reach out to him this week.

“This one would mean a ton to him,’’ Mayfield said. “And not necessarily in a revenge way but whenever you play a team that you are familiar with – I had that same thing in college going back and playing Texas Tech – it means a lot to you. We are going to play for him because he is one of our guys so we need to do that.”

* B.J. Goodson on his reunion with the Giants

Goodson, a fourth-round pick of the Giants out of Clemson, will return to Metlife Stadium Sunday night to play the team that drafted him fourth round of the 2016 draft out of Clemson.

“Cold head, hot heart,’’ he said about facing the team that traded him to the Packers last season. “That is not really my motive. My motive is to just make sure my guys’ mind is right going into this event and just giving us the best chance to come out with the victory.”