Will Browns QB Baker Mayfield Play vs. Falcons?

The Cleveland Browns conclude the preseason Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons at 8 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Will we see a QB show?

Teams, including the Falcons, have been very cautious with their starters in the first two weeks of the season, but Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is expected to see action Sunday.

The Browns made that announcement on Friday.

Last season, Mayfield's third year in the NFL, he led the 11-5 Browns to their first playoff win in more than 25 years. He finished the regular season with 3,563 yards passing, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The strides he made protecting the ball were a big difference in the Browns' turnaround in 2020. Mayfield's record his first two years in the league was 12-19, as he threw 14 interceptions as a rookie and 21 in 2019.

Mayfield hasn't played in either of the Browns' first two preseason games. Instead, the Browns have gone with a combination of former Falcons QB Kyle Lauletta and veteran Case Keenum.

Lauletta was drafted by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Richmond. He spent three weeks on the Falcons practice squad in 2020, and the rest of the season on the Browns practice squad.

Keenum is entering his 10th season in the NFL. He's started 62 games in his career, including 14 for the Minnesota Vikings in 2017 and 16 for the Denver Broncos in 2018. He was a backup to Mayfield in Cleveland last year.

Each of the quarterbacks have had success in the Browns' two preseason wins against the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants. Lauletta is 33-of-50 passing for 364 yards and two touchdowns, while Keenum is 21-of-29 for 189 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Those 553 yards passing are in stark contrast to the 118 yards passing mustered by Falcons quarterbacks A.J. McCarron and Feleipe Franks in lopsided losses to the Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins.

Like Mayfield, Falcons starting quarterback Matt Ryan has yet to see any preseason action. Falcons head coach Arthur Smith hasn't announced his plans for the quarterback rotation on Sunday, other than to say newly signed Josh Rosen would definitely play.