Despite entering the last two minutes of the game against Oakland Raiders with a 42-34 advantage, Cleveland Browns couldn’t get the win on Sunday night. Raiders came in from behind to get a touchdown and 2-point conversion to force the game into overtime. There, they kept their cool and managed to get a win with a field goal.
This was a game that Browns supposed to win, and their rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield knows it. Talking with the reporters after the game, Mayfield, who made his first NFL career start against the Raiders, took the blame for the loss on himself.
“I’m the quarterback of this team,“- he said. “It’s on me.“
It was a game with many ups and downs for Mayfield. He completed 21 out of his 41 for 295 yards and two touchdowns. On the downside, he also threw two interceptions and committed two more turnovers.
While the game didn’t exactly turn the way Baker Mayfield would wish for, he still proved that Cleveland Browns made the right choice when they drafted him first overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. The 23-year old showed the ability to make big plays and accurate throws, leading the team to their highest scoring output since 2007. Mayfield was also one yard short from scoring his third touchdown, which would make him the only first overall pick to throw more than two touchdowns in his starting debut in NFL history.
Browns will welcome red-hot Baltimore Ravens next Sunday, and if Mayfield continues to learn from his mistakes, they might well have a chance in this game.
