The Browns lost wide receiver Odell Beckham to a knee injury early in Sunday’s game against the Bengals, but Beckham was still able to find a way to help quarterback Baker Mayfield rally the team.
After throwing his fifth touchdown pass of the day and third of the fourth quarter to cap a 37-34 win, Mayfield met reporters for a press conference that included questions about his response to Beckham’s injury. Mayfield recounted a halftime conversation with the wideout that he credited with inspiring his play in the second half.
“First, [the injury] sucks. No words. I would be lying to say that I was not beating myself up about it,” Mayfield said, via a transcript provided by the Browns. “To go into halftime and see him, and I told him I love him, and he said, ‘Go be great.’ That was what he left me with to open up the second half. That was something I continued to remember throughout the second half.”
Mayfield completed five straight passes to close the first half and would rattle off 16 more in a row in the second half to set a new team record. He was 17-of-18 for 252 yards and four touchdowns overall after the break, which would seem to qualify as making good on Beckham’s directive to his quarterback.