Getty Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield
The Cleveland Browns probably should have won their Week 4 game against the Oakland Raiders. Between late turnovers, some questionable decisions and most importantly, some terrible officiating, this game could have easily gone either way.
But that’s simply how the NFL goes sometimes, and it seems Browns new quarterback Baker Mayfield fully understands that. Instead of complaining about anything, Mayfield took the blame for the loss due to his own turnovers, as Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith revealed.
“I feel bad for our defense. We gave the Raiders a chance on offense too many times,” Mayfield said. “Our defense played well, we just gave them the ball on our side of the field too many times.”
While Mayfield did toss two interceptions and fumbled twice, he can’t be fully blamed. After all, the Browns lost 45-42, and it’s hard for a team to win a game when their opponent scores 40-plus points.
Baker Mayfield’s Performance
The No. 1 pick’s first NFL start was a bit of a mixed bag to some extent. He looked excellent at certain points and struggled at others. Mayfield missed a few throws by very little (including a near-touchdown early to Antonio Callaway), and those things should be worked out as he gets more in-game reps. But the 20 incompletions on 41 attempts is less than ideal.
It’s also worth noting that only one of the quarterback’s turnovers came in the final 13 minutes of the game, which was the late interception in an effort to get in field goal range. The argument can easily be made that Mayfield did enough to walk away with a win during his first NFL start.
Next up, Cleveland heads back home for a matchup with the tough Baltimore Ravens defense.
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