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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Baker Mayfield was disappointed, not upset, after the Carolina Panthers’ 26-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
On Sunday, Mayfield struggled in what has been dubbed the “Baker Bowl” — he finally got revenge on the team that drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, only to take him out earlier this offseason. He kicked to the curb in favor of suspended star Deshaun Watson.
“Everybody’s in the Super Bowl, but while everybody does, there are 16 games left,” Mayfield said. “The Super Bowl isn’t until February, it’s early September. There’s a lot to look forward to, but We’ll rush in, learn from it and do better.”
Cleveland’s festivities weren’t so bland.
Browns executive vice president JW Johnson called out Mayfield on Twitter after the game, writing: “Yes! Huge victory for the team!! 1-0 #Browns. The locker room (room) was destroyed by closed.”
Browns defensive end Miles Garrett said something similar after the game. The “eclectic” comment refers to the slogan Mayfield used on the licensed limited-edition T-shirt his camp launched last week.
Mayfield pointed the finger at himself as the offense started slowly.
Carolina went 14-0 with just 13 yards in its first five games. Mayfield didn’t help, as he threw a shotgun over the scrimmage line, delayed a game free throw, and intercepted the Browns’ first touchdown.
Still, he pulled the Panthers back from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter and helped the team win after a 64-yard drive that led to Eddy Pineiro. A 34-yard field goal gave Carolina a 24-23 lead: 13 left in the game.
Rookie Ced York’s 58-yard field goal with eight seconds left undermined the effort.
Mayfield finished the game 16-of-27 for 235 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception. He also ran for a 7-yard touchdown.
“I’m disappointed with the way I started,” Mayfield said. “Obviously there were a lot of mistakes on the offensive end – self-inflicted mistakes – and I’m definitely responsible for that. The ball was on the ground too much, there were miscommunications and issues that we needed to fix. These are the ones you harp on. … but they can be repaired, which is a good thing.”
Panthers head coach Matt Ruhler said he likes what he sees from the new quarterback after a slow start.
“He, like everyone else on our offense, just kind of settled down,” Rhule said. “There were a lot of little things holding us back in the first half. We had a lot of 3-pointers and it wasn’t a good half.”
Mayfield said he will have to study the tape to see if he feels the Panthers were too conservative on the final drive.
After scoring back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the Panthers moved to No. 14 in Cleveland with 1:27 left. But Mayfield got the shotgun wrong on the first bat and had to jump on the loose ball, which cost the team.
The Panthers then ran Christian McCaffrey twice and lost 1 yard before the field goal.
Ruhler said Mayfield had a passing option in those games, but he chose to pass.
“Their security is going downhill, and we’re in the RPO to protect the ball,” Mayfield said. “Will I look back at the movie and think there might be a shot? I don’t know.
He then added: “But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with giving the ball to your best player.”
After the game, Mayfield stayed on the floor to congratulate several former Browns teammates, including Garrett, who had two of Cleveland’s four sacks. But he never spoke to Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, with whom he clashed in Cleveland.
“He fought like crazy,” Stefanski said of Mayfield. “As he always does.”
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