Baker Mayfield was not happy with his turnover-filled performance in the Cleveland Browns 32-28 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. But the Browns young quarterback also had some negative comments for referee Adrian Hill and his officiating crew.
“The refs are never an excuse, but I’ll probably be fined for saying this, but it was pretty bad out there,” Mayfield said in his postgame presser. “Kinda ticks me off.”
Insert “Morgan Freeman he’s right you know” meme here…
The officiating was dreadful. From flat-out incorrect rule interpretations to missed spots, ignored penalties on one drive that were harshly enforced on the next, Hill’s crew was indeed pretty bad out there, to quote Mayfield.
It’s not an excuse for why the Browns lost. Their own sloppy execution and poor choices were far more complicit in sending the Browns to their fourth loss in six games. But the officiating was not up to professional standards and it did impact the outcome, too. That’s unacceptable, and good on Mayfield for biting the bullet and saying so.
