Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield does not mince words or hold back on opinions, not especially about football games, and he was less than happy with a line of questioning during his weekly press conference at team headquarters in Berea.
While addressing the media in the Browns’ locker room following Wednesday’s practice, Mayfield was asked about a two-minute drive in the second quarter of last Sunday’s 27-13 road loss to the New England Patriots, and after a brief, yet heated exchange, he abruptly walked away from the podium and back to his locker, using multiple expletives to describe his thoughts about beat reporter Tony Grossi of TheLandOnDemand.com.
“When the penalty happened and we’re behind the chains…No, stop saying, ‘but,’” Mayfield said. “I just told you the clock was running and we had a penalty. You want to give them the ball back? No. You don’t play, you don’t know it. That’s just plain and simple.
“Was I happy with the drive? No, we didn’t score points. It’s the dumbest question you could ask. What? Jesus, Tony.”
Reaction to the Mayfield-Grossi incident was swift on social media.
Known Mayfield critic Colin Cowherd was one of the first to address the incident on his national radio/television program and went on an eight-minute rant about why he does not like the Browns’ franchise quarterback.
“He has no emotional discipline,” Cowherd said. “None. I’m right. I won. I won this one, and he’s going to win games by the way. Their schedule now is Charmin tissue. They’re going to win seven of their next eight games or six of their next eight games. I won this. I was right. This is not what a franchise quarterback does.”
And Cowherd was far from the only one who found fault with Mayfield’s actions.
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Although Mayfield received a fair amount of criticism for his actions, particularly from members of the media, there were those fans who firmly entrenched themselves in his corner and expressed their support for the second-year quarterback.
Right or wrong for his actions, Mayfield and the Browns will get a chance to change the narrative about their season after a 2-5 start when they take on the Denver Broncos on the road this Sunday.