Baker Mayfield Memes After Georgia Loss I Suck Again

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Baker Mayfield didn't feel quite every bit dangerous as Patrick Mahomes in crunch time.

The departure betwixt the 2 quarterbacks in the clutch left Mayfield describing the hurting of defeat while addressing his teammates in the visiting locker room after the Browns fell 33-29 to the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday'due south flavor opener at Arrowhead Stadium.

"This one does sting and it should. It should for our guys considering nosotros were close," Mayfield said during his postgame news conference.

"We started fast. Nosotros've just got to finish."

Mayfield had been pinpoint accurate as a passer for much of the game. Former Dallas Cowboys four-fourth dimension Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo had been in awe of some of Mayfield's throws and praised him during the CBS telecast.

Mayfield's functioning played a pivotal role in the Browns leading the Chiefs 29-20 afterwards running back Kareem Hunt rushed for a 2-one thousand touchdown with ten:24 left in the fourth quarter.

But Mayfield failed to deliver a final dagger, and the Browns dropped to 1-21-i in flavor openers since the expansion era began in 1999.

"You accept to execute critical moments," Mayfield said. "Nothing else matters before those moments, and it ever comes downward to those three, 4 plays that you wait back on and say, 'Wow, if we had done this differently, it would've worked.'

"And so I'm going to be hard on myself, only go dorsum and assail this week, and we've got a habitation game, and it's going to be a good one."

The dwelling house opener at FirstEnergy Stadium will be Sunday confronting the Houston Texans, who are coming off a 37-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It should be the get-go of a winning streak for Cleveland.

In Calendar week one, the Browns looked equally the contender they had been advertised to exist in the offseason, but they even so weren't quite ready to triumph over the two-time defending AFC champion Chiefs in ane of the toughest NFL venues for away teams.

The Browns lost 22-17 to the Chiefs on Jan. 17 in the divisional round of the playoffs and could very well meet them again in the 2022 postseason.

The lessons the Browns should have away from their contempo regular-season rendezvous with the Chiefs are both maddening and invaluable.

"Nosotros didn't execute," All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett said, "and downward the stretch, they were the more than composed and the more capable team."

The Browns had two turnovers — really three if you count a turnover on downs — and the Chiefs committed none.

Running dorsum Nick Chubb'due south lost fumble with 5:56 left in the third quarter led to three points for the Chiefs. Punter Jamie Gillan dropping a snap on fourth-and-12 led to the Chiefs taking over at their 15-yard line and going ahead 33-29 with Mahomes' 8-k game-winning touchdown pass to All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce with vii:04 left to play.

The Browns, though, withal had chances to survive those self-inflicted errors.

Mayfield and the offense squandered the opportunities with a three-and-out, then the quarterback's game-clinching interception with ane:09 remaining.

"Nosotros did not play our best when information technology mattered. Nosotros did not coach our best when it mattered," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. "Versus a team like this, y'all have to play a 60-minute football game. We didn't do that."

The three-and-out during the Browns' penultimate possession looked like information technology might accept been the upshot of a nice defensive play, just Mayfield said his accuracy had actually betrayed him on a crucial third-and-7 from the Cleveland 28. His underthrew rookie wide receiver Anthony Schwartz, allowing Juan Thornhill to suspension up the deep pass near the Kansas City 42.

"Bad ball," Mayfield said. "I've got to put it on the sideline and let him run under it. I put it in a position to where it was a contested grab instead of it being an easy one for him. That's on me. I expect to exist a whole lot meliorate.

"I need to brand those little throws. … It's very frustrating because they're at that place. They're there, but when y'all play the Chiefs, teams of that caliber, if you don't execute, you're going to lose."

Garrett'southward sack on Mahomes during the ensuing series gave the Browns i terminal adventure. They took over at their 17 with 2:49 left after a punt and advanced to the Cleveland 48. On commencement-and-10, Mayfield tried to throw the brawl away under pressure, merely safety Daniel Sorensen dived and tripped him from behind. Mayfield stumbled, and his pass didn't travel out of premises like he hoped information technology would. Cornerback Mike Hughes intercepted it in forepart of tight cease Harrison Bryant to seal the consequence.

"Just trying to throw it out of premises," Mayfield said. "[Sorensen] simply got just enough of my feet to affect it, and brand me keep it in bounds.

"Harrison [Bryant] came up and ... apologized. I said it's not his mistake because that ball was supposed to be out of bounds about three rows up. Adept play by them. Alive and learn."

By now, the Browns take learned Sorensen is a thorn in their side. Recollect, he had the helmet-to-helmet striking on Rashard Higgins when the receiver fumbled through the end zone and out of bounds in the divisional-round game.

Bakery Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns offense scored at will early

Mayfield went 21-of-28 passing (75%) for 321 yards with an interception. He finished with a passer rating of 97.5.

For the sake of comparing, Mahomes went 27-of-36 passing (75%) for 337 yards and iii TDs without an interception for a rating of 131.4 and added a 5-yard TD run.

The Browns scored on each of their beginning three possessions — Chubb rushed for touchdowns of 4 and 18 yards and receiver Jarvis Landry rushed for a five-yard TD — and Mayfield was 13-of-17 passing for 231 yards with a rating of 117.nine at halftime, when the Browns led 22-10.

"We had everything nosotros wanted," Landry said. "We were getting everything we wanted from play calls to guys simply making plays."

Stefanski'south play calling was nothing curt of masterful. He was aggressive, besides, going for it on 4th-and-3 from the Kansas Metropolis 15 during the showtime possession (Mayfield 5 yards to tight Austin Hooper) and on 4th-and-ane from the Kansas City 5 on the second possession (Landry'southward five-yard TD run).

"Nosotros were calling some shot plays because they were working, and we weren't taking negative plays," Mayfield said. "As Kevin's calling plays, he feels comfortable. If we're not taking negative plays and we're taking check downs and moving the chains on those shot plays, he's going to keep doing it. That's the aggressive play calling, and it's but the fact that we fell behind the chains in the second half and the fourth quarter that we hurt ourselves. That's what happens when you lot play a slap-up team like the Chiefs. They're going to take reward and win."

Cavalcade:Kevin Stefanski takes his play-calling game to the side by side level

Landry revealed Mayfield addressed the squad subsequently the loss in the locker room.

"He's the leader of our team," said Landry, who had five catches on five targets for 71 yards and a rushing touchdown. "He's a guy that continues to work hard. He's a guy that spoke in the locker room later on the game. He played well today. Patently, we all made mistakes, but he played well, and moving forrad, I know he'south going to keep to try to discover ways to set up the things that we all should. We all should find the things that we did incorrect today and endeavor to gear up them for each other. Hopefully that leads to wins, but the guy'south trying to make a play [late in the game], and we trust him to exercise that.

"You can't think this is the cease of our season. Obviously, it hurts. It was another part of [Mayfield's] message. It hurts. Anytime you put the work in that we do each and every twenty-four hour period, it f****** sucks — it sucks to lose. But … you grit yourself off and you lot give it some other go the next week. We owe it to each other to pace into the building on Monday, off on Tuesday, then Wednesday go back to work with this behind united states of america and motivated to go out there and win a game in our home stadium side by side week."

Rookie receiver Anthony Schwartz impressed Cleveland Browns

A 3rd-round draft pick, Schwartz had a busy twenty-four hour period with star receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s return to game action on hold.

Although Donovan Peoples-Jones started in place of Beckham, DPJ had just one catch on i target for 4 yards, which occurred on the Browns' final possession.

Schwartz had three catches on five targets for 69 yards and a rushing endeavor for 17 yards.

"I simply prepare for the worst really," Schwartz said. "I prepare like I'm playing 90 snaps a game, so when my number was called, I just had to go in and practice what I was supposed to do. It was great merely existence a part of the team and a part of the offense. I'm always preparing like I'chiliad going to get the ball every time, so whenever there is a pass play called, I think I'yard going to become the ball every time. That's my mindset going into information technology."

Schwartz'due south juggling 44-yard take hold of late in the first quarter helped set upward Landry'due south touchdown and wound up existence the Browns' longest proceeds. Tight end David Njoku had a 43-yard take hold of and finished with three grabs on five targets for a squad-loftier 76 receiving yards.

Chiefs All-Pro receiver Tyreek Colina had 11 catches on xv targets for a game-high 197 receiving yards, including a 75-m touchdown on safety John Johnson III with 10:x left in the fourth quarter.

"It was a busted play I didn't finish on," Johnson said. "I was trying to read his optics, and as shortly as I looked back, the ball was behind me. It was i of those things where you exercise your job, and you kind of just get burned. Plays like that happen. You try to milk shake out of it and bounce back.

"During the week [preceding the game], I said yous tin't let anyone get behind yous. I let someone get behind me. He scrambled and made a groovy play. Giving up plays like that will get y'all trounce. We have to go dorsum to the drawing board and get it fixed."

A race between Schwartz and Hill would be fascinating. Schwartz has a long way to go before he can be compared with Hill as a receiver, only they both take aristocracy speed.

"Proud of [Schwartz] for how he played," Mayfield said. "He's a guy that's going to continue to grow as he learns in our offense and little nuances. Merely his speed obviously was on display today, so he's a guy nosotros're lucky to have in our offense."

More:Will Odell Beckham Jr. render for Browns' home opener? 'I think it's a possibility'

Schwartz'south outing was especially notable because he missed a significant portion of training campsite with hamstring bug. He sat out the first ii of three preseason games.

"He played huge today. I'm proud of him," Landry said. "I'thou proud of the mode that he came in and his eagerness to learn.

"He did what he was asked to do, made tough plays, blocked, was where he needed to be when nosotros needed him there. He's going to exist a guy we should continue to lean on as long every bit he'southward standing to brand plays and progressing."

At that place is a play Schwartz wants back, though. He said he should accept caught the broken-upwards pass Mayfield underthrew on the Browns' next-to-final possession.

"That'south a play that I should be making 10 times out of 10," Schwartz said. "Information technology was a great play past the defensive dorsum, but I feel similar I should have come down with information technology. I take to hold onto the ball, so [I need] stronger hands."

Nick Chubb's rare errors keep happening vs. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs

A two-fourth dimension Pro Basin choice, Chubb is as reliable a histrion as the Browns have. Yet he has left his last two games against the Chiefs lamenting mistakes. He dropped a few passes in the divisional-round loss, and he lost a fumble Lord's day during a third quarter in which the Browns were outscored x-0.

The Chiefs forced the ball out, but "unacceptable" is the word Chubb used to depict the turnover.

"At that place is no excuse for that," he said. "I accept complete blame for that. The momentum shift, all that, was on me. All I can exercise now is learn from information technology and not let information technology happen anymore."

In 45 career regular-flavour games, Chubb has v fumbles.

More:Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills injures ankle confronting Chiefs

The Browns outgained the Chiefs 457 to 397 yards. The Browns finished with 26 rushing attempts for 153 yards (5.nine average) and iv touchdowns. Chubb had fifteen carries for 83 yards (5.five boilerplate) and two TDs. Chase had six carries for 33 yards (5.5 boilerplate) and a TD.

Chubb has an active streak of seven games with a rushing touchdown, tying Hall of Famer Jim Brown for the second-longest streak of that nature in franchise history, co-ordinate to the Browns.

Cleveland Browns debut revamped defense

The Browns had nine new starters on defense force compared with the 2022 opener.

Garrett and cornerback Denzel Ward were the simply holdovers.

The Browns opened in their nickel defense, and the new starters were end Jadeveon Clowney, tackles Malik McDowell and Malik Jackson, linebackers Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Anthony Walker Jr., cornerbacks Greg Newsome II and Troy Hill and safeties Johnson and Ronnie Harrison Jr.

Rookies Owusu-Koramoah and Newsome fabricated their NFL regular-season debuts along with McDowell, a 2022 draft option who had a tackle for loss on the defense's first play of the game.

More: Myles Garrett says Browns' Ronnie Harrison Jr. isn't the merely i who should accept been ejected from flavour opener

Nate Ulrich tin can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.

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Source: https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/pro/browns/2021/09/13/cleveland-browns-news-kansas-city-chiefs-takeaways-baker-mayfield/8271724002/

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