Baker Mayfield scrutinised for antics in win over former coach

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

That’s what Baker Mayfield said in response to questions about staring down his former head coach, Hue Brown, in the Browns’ win over the Bengals on Sunday.

Since being fired as the Browns’ head coach, Hue Jackson has been the defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. The most notable aspect of the move being that Jackson is currently working for free.

For whatever reason, Mayfield previously expressed distain for Jackson’s decision to take that role after being fired from Cleveland.

“He left Cleveland and goes down to Cincinnati? I don’t know, it’s just somebody that was in our locker room asking for us to play for him, and then goes to a different team we play twice a year,” he said. “Everybody can have their spin on it, but that’s how I feel.”

Some in the media put that distain down to Mayfield’s competitive nature, and others have criticised the young quarterback for reacting to a desperate coach looking for an opportunity.

All this culminated in a Week 16 clash between the Browns and Bengals.

Baker reigned supreme with 284 yards, three touchdowns, and a win. But very few people are talking about his elite play. Instead, all anyone is talking about is how he rubbed it in.

We may be watching the emergence of the most polarising athlete in NFL history. For every person criticising Mayfield’s behaviour, there is a Browns fan chanting “Baker, Baker, Baker!”