CLEVELAND — Michael Symon has never been shy to share his passion for the Cleveland Browns.
So perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that the celebrity chef was feeling feisty after his hometown team beat the Cincinnati Bengals in a 37-34 thriller on Sunday.
Shortly after Baker Mayfield's threw a game-winning 24-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones to advance the Browns' record to 5-2, Symon took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the victory. And it didn't take long for the Burgers, Brew and 'Que host to take aim at ESPN and anyone who was critical of Mayfield heading into Cleveland's Week 7 matchup.
"Yes!!! @Browns @bakermayfield !!," Symon tweeted. "Hey @espn and all the other loud mouths...zip the lip!"
Symon's comments come after Mayfield endured a week of national criticism following his performance in the Browns' 38-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Asked about the scrutiny he was receiving from the likes of ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft downplayed the noise, stating that he was more focused on what was happening on the football field.
“I do not give a damn what they say," Mayfield said. "It is within this building. We know we can do better. I know I can do better. That is how it is going to be handled. The outside noise does not matter. They get paid to talk. We get paid to do our work. That is how it is going to be handled."
On Sunday, Mayfield did just that, shaking off an interception on Cleveland's opening drive to complete a Browns franchise record 21 consecutive completions for 297 yards and five touchdowns, including the game-winner to Peoples-Jones.
With that, the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner likely silenced his critics for at least another week, which should allow Symon to savor the sweet taste of victory.