CLEVELAND — San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa has a long memory and is not afraid of extracting a measure of payback on an old foe.
The former Ohio State Buckeyes star registered a sack of Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield in the waning seconds of the first half of San Francisco’s 31-3 win in front of the home fans at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and boy, did he have a memorable celebration.
Bosa ran down the field jubilantly and pretended to wave and plant a flag on the field, something that Mayfield did at the 50-yard line of Ohio Stadium after leading the Oklahoma Sooners to an upset win over the Buckeyes in September of 2017.
“I didn’t know that until I was informed before I got up here,” Mayfield said. “Good for him. Good play.”
Bosa did not stop there, as he grabbed a 49ers flag following the win and once again waved and planted it in the field.
The 49ers even used Bosa’s celebration in their post-game social graphic.
Bosa’s celebration summed up the kind of night Mayfield had against the 49ers.
Mayfield completed only eight of his 22 attempts for 100 yards with two interceptions, the second of which came on a deflection on a pass that hit wide receiver Antonio Callaway both in the hands and the chest before former Browns defensive back K’Waun Williams secured the takeaway and returned the ball 51 yards to the Cleveland 49-yard line.
Also, Mayfield had two fumbles, one of which the 49ers recovered during the first half, and was relieved of duty by fellow Lake Travis High School alum Garrett Gilbert late in the fourth quarter.
Including the two interceptions Mayfield tossed against the 49ers, he now leads the NFL with eight through the first five games of the 2019 season.
“It once again shows, for us, we’ve got to do our jobs,” Mayfield said. “The inconsistency is killing us right now. (It’s) being able to focus and do our job on each play and eliminate mistakes because when you play a team like that, you’re not going to have success.”