Herzlich Willkommen » Baker Mayfield continues to wow the NFL

Ozzie Newsome Jersey , leading the Browns to a 26-20 victory over the Panthers, improving Cleveland to 5-7-1 on the year.The Panthers easily moved down the field on their opening drive, thanks to a heavy dose of RB Christian McCaffrey, who finished the drive off with a rushing touchdown from 4 yards out to put his team up 7-0.Cleveland responded quickly, as their opening play was a 66-yard bomb from QB Baker Mayfield to WR Bredshad Perriman to set up a goal-to-go situation. Two plays later, a unique formation saw WR Jarvis Landry take the end around into the end zone from 3 yards out to tie the game at 7-7.The Browns’ defense forced a punt on Carolina’s second drive. Backed up, WR Rashard Higgins was stripped of the football after a wide receiver screen, with the Panthers recovering. The Panthers faced 1st-and-goal from the 1 yard line to begin the second quarter. A couple of plays later, McCaffrey punched it in to give Carolina a 14-7 lead.Cleveland suffered a couple of penalties on their next drive and were backed up into a 3rd-and-17 situation. That’s when Mayfield rolled left and fired all the way to the end zone, a 51-yard rocket that Landry caught with a defender on him to tie the game at 14-14.Shoddy tackling quickly got the Panthers into scoring range, but the Browns’ defense held them to a 30-yard field goal to make it a 17-14 game.Mayfield continued making great passes leading into the two-minute warning. The Browns tried a trick play with Landry throwing the ball deep to RB Nick Chubb, but it was just broken up in a tight window. On third down, Mayfield fired a bullet to an open Higgins over the middle, but he dropped it — a play he either would’ve scored on or gotten inside the five on. K Greg Joseph connected on the 49-yard field goal to tie the game at 17-17, though, heading into the half.The Browns got the ball to begin the half, and squandered it: the first play was a dumpoff to Landry, who was careless with the ball while trying to cut back inside as Carolina recovered in field goal range. The Browns forced a three-and-out to set Carolina up for a 53-yard field goal attempt...but then they suffered a delay of game and opted to punt instead.The Browns were backed up and couldn’t muster anything — and on third down, Mayfield’s streak of not being sacked ended. P Britton Colquitt punted from his own end line, but it was a good punt to put Carolina at midfield. The next drive was a mess of a fourth down conversion after a challenge, a turnover nullified by a penalty, and bad tackling en route to a touchdown...that was called back by a penalty. When it was all said and done, the Panthers got a 34-yard field goal mid-way through the third quarter to go up 20-17.Two holds on RG Kevin Zeitler killed the next drive for Cleveland, but a couple of completions at least set them up for a better punt. The defense forced their own punt, and at the start of the fourth quarter, the Browns ran the same running play as earlier with Landry, this time going for 51 yards before being chased down by LB Luke Kuechly at the 4 yard line. One play later, Chubb punched it in to give Cleveland a 23-20 lead. On the extra point try, the Panthers jumped offsides, and Cleveland’s snap and good kick did not count because the whistle had blown. The penalty made the actual extra point try five yards closer, but Joseph pulled it off the upright.Cleveland’s defense forced a timely three-and-out, aided by a pass break-up from CB T.J. Carrie on a deep ball. A big run by Chubb got Cleveland into field goal range Briean Boddy-Calhoun Jersey , but the drive stalled, forcing them to settle for a 41-yarder from Joseph. He connected, giving the Browns a 26-20 lead with 8:46 to go in the game.Carolina burned clock and efficiently drove down the field to a goal-to-go situation. On third and fourth down from the 3 yard line, though, Newton threw incompletions, turning the ball over on downs with 2:39 to go. The Browns were backed up now, but they got out of danger zone with a completion to Perriman. The Browns could only bleed the clock down to 1:04 before punting away to a Panthers team with no timeouts remaining. Newton’s first pass was sailed and picked by FS Damarious Randall, sealing the victory!Quick HittersQB Baker Mayfield: 18-of-22 for 238 yards, 1 TD. 2 rushes, 4 yards.RB Nick Chubb: 13 carries, 66 yards. 1 TD. 4 catches, 17 yards (6 targets).WR Jarvis Landry: 3 catches, 57 yards (4 targets). 1 TD. 2 rushes. 54 yards. 1 TD. 1 fumble lost.WR Breshad Perriman: 2 catches, 81 yards (2 targets).DE Myles Garrett: 1 sack. BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Baker Mayfield won’t back down, won’t change. Not for Hue Jackson or TV commentators or critics or anyone.Don’t bother telling Cleveland’s rookie quarterback how he should act, what he should say or how he should feel.He’s not listening.“I’m not a cookie-cutter quarterback,” Mayfield said. “Never have been, never will be.”Dismissing some condemnation for recent comments and actions, Mayfield doubled down on Wednesday by saying he doesn’t regret calling former Browns coach Hue Jackson “fake” and promised to stay true to himself.After throwing four touchdown passes and leading the Browns to a 35-20 win on Sunday in Cincinnati, Mayfield was cool toward Jackson when they met on the field and then said he was unhappy with the coach’s decision to take a job with the Bengals, a division rival, just weeks after he was fired by the Browns.Mayfield’s remarks drew some harsh criticism, especially from ESPN’s Damien Woody, a former NFL player who called the 23-year-old immature and hypocritical because he transferred from Texas Tech to Oklahoma. Mayfield fired back at Woody by posting a comment on Instagram assailing Jackson, pointing out he lost 30-plus games with Cleveland, labeling him “fake.”Mayfield isn’t taking back a single word.“People took it as me personally attacking Hue, but that’s not it,” he said. “It’s the fact that I get to have my own opinion on how it transpired and he gets to do what he wants. That’s how it is. I speak my mind. That’s just how I am, so I didn’t like the (Jackson) move and people don’t have to care. I’m not looking for anybody’s approval. I don’t regret any of it. It’s about this team and what we have, and we have to stick together and play together.”Mayfield, who has played superbly in leading the Browns to two straight wins Joe Schobert Color Rush Jersey , believes his passion to play and lead has been misread.“People get maturity confused with me being 100 percent comfortable in my own skin,” Mayfield said. “It’s not immature. It’s me being exactly who I am every day. Being that same guy for our team and I think that is very important for us right now.”Mayfield declined to elaborate about his relationship with Jackson, saying “it’s in-house information and it doesn’t matter.”But Mayfield’s conduct has struck a nerve — in Cleveland, where he’s being hailed as a franchise savior, and across the NFL, which is taking note of a Browns team making some noise.This is the swaggering, headband-wearing, flag-planting Mayfield the Browns knew they were getting when the team selected him with the No. 1 overall pick. He arrived carrying a Heisman Trophy but with other baggage, which included some questionable on-field antics — and an off-field arrest — that concerned some front-office executives but didn’t dissuade the Browns.Mayfield insists he’s just being himself, and he’ll deal with detractors the way he always has.“I have an opinion and I’m entitled to that, but the most important thing is me doing my job and I can manage both, and that’s what people don’t understand,” he said. “Yeah, a quarterback that’s a little different from some of the guys to have a voice, but that’s just how I’ve always been and I’m not going to change for anybody.”Mayfield’s relishes the rebel label. It fuels him, fires up his teammates and has endeared him to Browns fans, who believe the future is bright.But while he loves being the outsider, Mayfield knows there’s a segment of people who wish he would tone down his act and behave more in line with Drew Brees or Peyton Manning.That’s their opinion, though. Mayfield is going to be his own man.“They are their own person. I’m not trying to be exactly like them,” Mayfield said. “Yeah, there are things that I absolutely admire about both of those guys, but I’m never trying to be anybody else. I’m going to be the best version of myself and that’s what has gotten me here.”It’s gotten the Browns back to playing meaningful games in December.Just as he does on Sundays, Browns left guard Joel Bitonio protected Mayfield.“If you look at Baker’s body of work since he’s been here, I think it’s shown that he’s a confident, sometimes cocky player, but you need to be that to be a quarterback in this league,” Bitonio said. “People go about it differently and he plays the game the right way, he works the right way, he does things the right way and I’m happy he’s our quarterback.”NOTES: Interim coach Gregg Williams said rookie OL Austin Corbett had his foot stepped on Sunday at Cincinnati. The No. 33 overall pick could be sidelined for an extended period. … Williams opened his news conference by offering condolences to the Texans following the death of their owner Bob McNair. Cleveland plays at Houston on Sunday.__