After Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets, which prevented the Cleveland Browns from getting the playoff berth, quarterback Baker Mayfield said he “failed the team” after smoking three times.
“Simple and straightforward, I have to hold on to the damn ball,” said Mayfield, who looked in Cleveland’s last two ways, allowing the Jets to hold on for a 23-16 victory at East’s MetLife Stadium. Rutherford, New Jersey. “We had exactly what we needed to win this game. And I didn’t do well enough. That’s all.”
Due to the follow-up of a player who tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, the Browns had to play without their top four receivers. Instead, Cleveland had to rely on internships Ja’Marcus Bradley and Derrick Willies, along with Marvin Hall, whom he retired from resignations earlier this month.
Without his usual receivers, including Jarvis Landry, and the initials Jedrick Wills Jr. (illness) and Wyatt Teller (ankle), the Browns fought offensively throughout the day.
As a result, facing a stacked box, runners Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt averaged just 0.3 yards before contact, according to ESPN Statistics and Information research, and combined to finish with only 39 yards in a hurry. Unable to establish the race or facilitate the action of the game, the Browns had to issue it with Mayfield, who finished with 53 passing attempts in the race. Thirty-six of those passes were for narrow or running purposes, tied at most by a quarterback in the last 20 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Info research.
Still, Mayfield refused to use these key absences, especially the receiver, as an excuse, and took the blame for the loss.
“Put it on me,” Mayfield said, “for not doing my job, for not playing at a high level as I should have, for not getting these guys out and finishing this game.”
Mayfield only asked one question in his post-game video call, but he also spoke for nearly two minutes. Before he left, he acknowledged that the Browns can still advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and end the longest drought of the NFL season by defeating Pittsburgh next weekend.
“This one is going to sting for a day or two, but we have the Steelers to win and get in,” he said. “So, I’m going to roll with those blows. Back against the wall and we have to win to get in. You know what, this group has fought today, but I haven’t done enough. I haven’t played well enough. Because we win. And that’s it.” .