QB Baker Mayfield (11.1.20)
QB Baker Mayfield:
On how bad the weather conditions were today:
“It affected a few throws. The wind got a hold of a couple of them. We talked about how the conditions were not going to be an excuse, and they were going to have to deal with them, too. They executed what we were trying to do – just take care of the ball, move the ball down the field, find the completions and find a way to win any way.”
On how frustrating it was that the Raiders were able to stay on the field and keep the chains moving on offense:
“This game is a lot of fourth downs going for it. They just kind of stuck with the run game and controlled the clock. We have to be better in the first half. We had three possessions, and we have to capitalize. We will look back at a few key plays that we offensively could have made, but they won. They did everything right today and handled it.”
On his message to the Browns offense when there is a significant drop that stops a drive:
“The ball is coming back to them. The ball always finds a way back to them at some certain point in the game. Like I always say, the most important play is always the next one so pick your head up and move on. Those are things, those guys make routine catches so it is one of those that everybody knows every once in a while it happens. We had a few of them today, but it is what it is. We will move forward, and we will get better. We will look at the film and learn. It is the bye week. Hopefully, get some guys back and keep getting better.”
On assessing where the Browns are at the midway point of the season:
“Not anywhere close to where we want to be. We have a 5-3 record. It should be a lot better. We believe that. That is why our locker room is pissed off. We believe in this locker room, and we are going to continue to get better and hopefully going on a streak right after this bye week, like I said, be healthy and focus on getting better. We know what we can improve, and after we watch this film, we will do that even more so.”
On the two plays to WR Jarvis Landry in the end zone:
“Tough to say on the review for the potential touchdown. I just thought that it looked pretty similar to the one to (Raiders WR Hunter) Renfrow. Obviously, they are going to make the calls and they are going to do what they do. That is a tough one in man coverage with the safety over the top, trying to put it where he can get it. That is a tough one. He got a shot in the ribs, and he was hurting right there. Not many people can make that play, but I know Jarvis is going to beat himself up.”
On challenges playing without DE Myles Garrett for much of the game:
“It always sucks to lose a guy like that. We pride ourselves on the next man up mentality, but like we said about (WR) Odell (Beckham Jr.), it is not a one-man job to fill his shoes. That is a guy that we love having here and love having on this team. The bye week is coming at a good time for us. Hopefully, it is nothing too serious and he can come back and continue to help us in a huge way like he has been.”
On how good it is to have the bye week now to allow Browns players to heal from injuries:
“It is pretty good timing to be honest with you. I think everybody needs it. Obviously, we would have loved to have gone into this bye 6-2, if not better, but we are where we are. We can only deal with that, move forward and continue to get better. It is about putting in the work one week at a time until we reach that end goal.”
On saying the Browns are not where needed and if that comes down to consistency:
“In any game, no matter if it is a close game or a blowout, you can look at some of these key plays and see where the momentum changes or what potentially could have been, but it is what it is. There are no ‘what ifs’ because we have to move on and just learn from those plays. That is why you take every play and you play at 100 percent because you never know which one of those you are going to look back on and say that was the one that made the difference. We will learn and get better.”
On if he noticed the Raiders defense playing with a different gameplan without Beckham:
“The Raiders kind of do what they do. They are going to play a two-shell safety defense until you force them to get out of it in the run game. They eventually started bringing some of those safeties off the edges and bringing some pressure to try and stop that run game. They just do what they do. They play hard. We just did not make enough plays today.”
On how disappointing the loss is after the momentum gained from last week’s game:
“We win as a team and lose as a team. This league is hard. It is hard to win. We have to be more consistent to be able to accomplish that, and like I keep saying, just to learn from this film, move forward and get better, that is all we can do. We are going to do all of that as a team. We are going to put the work in as a team and get better as a team.”
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