BEREA, Ohio – Cleveland Browns booing fans Baker Mayfield several times in the second half of Sunday’s 13-10 victory over indecisiveness Detroit Lion.
Mayfield’s reaction to it?
“It’s probably the fans that won’t be quiet while we’re breaching and trying to operate,” the Cleveland quarterback said Monday. “So, don’t worry too much.”
Mayfield declined to speak to reporters after a game where he posted a QBR of 8.6 (on a 0-100 scale), the third-worst QBR performance of his career. Mayfield completed 15 of the 29 passes for just 176 yards. He threw a touch down pass to Nick Chubb but also made two interceptions, including one in the fourth half, prompting boos inside FirstEnergy Stadium and leading to the Lions’ on-field goal.
Mayfield’s first interception came with Cleveland’s second possession, as he overthrew Jarvis Landry, who seems to be wide open breaking midfield.
Mayfield has never skipped a post-game interview before.
“I’ve never dodged any questions or shied away from it. … Just frustration, removing the emotion and all that from it. Just deciding that it was best to wait.” he said, when asked about that on Monday. “Not part of it is about being irresponsible. I’m the first to tell you that I played like that —. I don’t owe you that, I owe it to my teammates. “
After kneeling to end the match, Mayfield also immediately entered the dressing room, instead of shaking hands with the Lions or celebrating victory with teammates on the field. He was also asked about it.
“My boys know that all I care about is winning. But I will be disappointed if I do things that make it more difficult for us. And I did yesterday. And that’s just it. poor results,” Mayfield said. “But I’ll never take it for granted. It’s a very difficult thing to do in this tournament. And it’s not a very common thing here for a long time. So I’m here. Just disappointed with the way I played.It’s the way I’ve always been. [My teammates] maybe I’ll come back and attack this week. “
Mayfield, who is currently 27th in QBR in the league, has faced numerous injuries throughout the season, including a tear in his non-throwing shoulder since Week 2. He is also dealing with knee and foot pain this month. Sunday, Mayfield hobbled for much of the second half, though he never came out of the game.
“He doesn’t feel 100 percent,” said Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, who added that he had never considered dropping Mayfield from the Lions game. “He’s definitely fighting.”
For all their struggles, the 6-5 Browns could return to the AFC North race with head-to-head matches against the top team. Baltimore Raven. And despite the ongoing injuries, Mayfield said he still plans to play Sunday night in Baltimore.
“The big picture, everyone wants to act like the world is falling,” says Mayfield. “No, we haven’t played to our potential and we know that better than anyone. … So we know what’s at stake. And we know what we need to do. “
