"I'm gonna f**k them up" - Baker Mayfield's ruthless message for Browns indictive of bad blood between both parties
Baker Mayfield was the best quarterback the Cleveland Browns have had since they were reactivated in the late '90s. It seemed that after so many years of struggling to find a quarterback (Johnny Manziel, Brandon Weeden, Brady Quinn), they'd done so in 2018. So it was surprising when Cleveland tried to upgrade on Mayfield this offseason and traded for quarterback Deshaun Watson.
This understandably irked Mayfield, who demanded a trade. He eventually landed with the Carolina Panthers. Interestingly, Mayfield's first opponent with his new franchise is the Cleveland Browns.
Some players might try to downplay the situation and just put the focus on winning each week. You'd be expecting the 'that nothing matters besides coming out on top' kind of speech. Baker Mayfield took a different approach.
In the preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills, the Panthers star reportedly had a message for his former team, saying:
"I'm gonna f*** them up."
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Baker Mayfield reportedly told a Bills sideline reporter he has revenge on his mind for Week One. 😳🤬 https://t.co/gMNN2NR3sn
Mayfield has won the starting job over the now-injured Sam Darnold, so he will have the pleasure of facing the Browns. Revenge is definitely on the cards and there will most likely be a multitude of fireworks during the game.
@theScore @JoeyJetsNYJ Yeah Baker!!!
This Week 1 fixture will draw a lot of attention and will mean a lot to the quarterback and the Browns. Cleveland will also be looking to their defense to show Mayfield up and prove them right for replacing him. But who will have the bragging rights come full time?
Also Checkout:- Baker Mayfield Parents
Will Baker Mayfield get his revenge on the Browns?
There's one big thing working in the Panthers' favor for this matchup with Cleveland: there will be no Deshaun Watson. Despite having a wobbly preseason, Watson is still a top-tier quarterback. Playing without him, which the Browns will do for 11 games, makes life difficult.
The Browns will start Jacoby Brissett under center. He's a safe pair of hands and capable of winning. Cleveland has a talented roster on both sides of the ball. Their offense will be led by the best running back duo in the NFL, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. The Browns also boast one of the league's best defenses, led by someone the Panthers will struggle to stop: Myles Garrett.
The Panthers have weapons on offense and a solid defense, but it's going to take a really good game for them to come out on top, even with Watson sidelined. Mayfield and the Panthers might have the perfect game plan for this matchup. It may be that he knows the Browns so well he can pick them apart with ease. Or it could be bold words and bravado.
Baker Mayfield can certainly talk the talk, but can he walk the walk? All eyes will be on him in Week 1 to see if he can back up his feisty comments.
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