Since his days in college, Baker Mayfield's skill and ability have been questioned. This has only motivated him to exceed expectations and ascend to unimaginable heights. Although he's habitually proved critics wrong, he's still one of the NFL's most polarizing players. But, his teammate, Odell Beckham Jr., wants the media to keep doubting his quarterback.
Beckham urged the media to keep the same energy it had for Mayfield when the Browns didn't immediately meet the hype surrounding the team.
"I would just encourage everyone who talks about Baker in the media to keep antagonizing him. Keep making him mad because that’s what you’re going to get," Beckham said. "This is somebody who’s been fueled off of that all his life, and the more you poke fun at him, the more he’s going to poke back. So I just love to see him in his element and just being him."
Heading into the season, the Browns gained a lot of excitement once they acquired Odell Beckham Jr. from the Giants. Yet after falling to 1-2, critics started to question if Mayfield could duplicate the success he amassed his rookie year. In fact, former NFL coach turned ESPN analyst, Rex Ryan, went as far as to call Mayfield "overrated as hell" prior to last week's matchup against the Ravens. This lit a fire under Mayfield. Not only did he respond to Ryan verbally, but he also shut Ryan up by throwing for 342 yards and a touchdown in the Browns convincing win over Baltimore.
