Minnesota - 7; Cleveland - 14
Q. Baker, how did you feel the defense played today?
BAKER MAYFIELD: Good enough for us to win when I'm playing quarterback like that. Thankful they played like that. And that's a really good offense that's averaging I think 30 points a game.
So for them to play lights out like that, we're lucky to have him on our side. And, you know, I need to pick it up.
A piss poor performance isn't going to cut it. I'll get better. But luckily we can lean on those guys and run the ball if we need to.
Q. What was off for you?
BAKER MAYFIELD: Just getting into rhythm. I don't know, there's a lot of easy throws there that I think I missed. And then, you know, situationally, getting into running the ball and you don't have a couple throws for a while, you just get out of that rhythm.
So I need to do a good job of taking advantage of my opportunities and staying on track. For me, it's -- I pride myself on being extremely accurate. And today, I don't know what the hell that was.
Q. You took a couple big pops. Is your shoulder 100 percent.
BAKER MAYFIELD: It's a tap. I'm all right.
Q. (Question concerning Baker Mayfield's shoulder.)
BAKER MAYFIELD: It's my left shoulder. I throw with my right.
Q. Baker, even though, obviously, not having a good performance, what does it say about this team to go on the road and win a game like this and kind of moving forward?
BAKER MAYFIELD: Yeah, a win is a win. Ugly ones count. Gets the same as, you know, the pretty ones do. We're a good team. We have to play, you know, a complete game. And that's, you know, in all three phases.
I thought the defense played great. Special teams, obviously, was great. And then another good game by Chase and that unit. And so, I just have to pick it up.
So we're a good team, like, today where I'm off, I can lean on those guys and make sure that, you know, I have that accountability.
Q. Do you feel like you guys, you and the team managed the second half well in a game that became a grinder?
BAKER MAYFIELD: Yeah, any time you have a close game like that and you come on out with a win, that shows the resiliency. You know, the situational football, you try and assess.
And so, for us to be able to take advantage of that, obviously -- and I told Odell this, that the shot play late on the third down, didn't communicate well enough to attack the ball out and front and throw it to him.
He did a great job winning and so he's digging for speed. And that's on me for not communicating it.
Like I said, that's one of those things where if I had communicated it, and we said earlier on in the year, things are better left said than not being said. So you saw it right there.
That's the type of dagger that you need to have on offense to put it away. Kind of like last week with Harrison Bryant's far cross and it sailed over him.
So those are things that I'm not real happy with myself about. But our defense is playing well enough to save me from that. I got to do better. It's just flatout simple. And there's not much else I can say.
Q. Baker, what does it show you about your defense to do this against a high-powered offense with the receivers like that?
BAKER MAYFIELD: Yeah, I mean, that's the great test for us. We knew we were going to need to score a little bit because their offense. But when our defense plays like that, they bail us out.
We'll take the win. No doubt about that, 3-1 is nice and we're on to the next challenge. And the Chargers are pretty damn good.
Q. (Question concerning Greedy Williams.)
BAKER MAYFIELD: Yeah, there was -- he had a nice little matchup on LSU boys. So I think -- you know, obviously you brought up Greedy fighting through all the injuries and figuring things out. So I'm happy for Greedy, you know, for sure. So hopefully that confidence builds and, you know, that continues to grow.
Q. (Question concerning a specific drive of the game.)
BAKER MAYFIELD: Yeah, that's a grueling drive. Each team had one drive in the first quarter. And so, we knew what kind of game it was going to be. We needed to take advantage of our opportunities.
And so, just that long one getting down there in the red zone, you know, we'd like to put it in the end zone before and have a couple, and then a penalty to save us. But you know what, it helped eat up the clock. And so, we did what we needed to do.
Q. (Question concerning a penalty on Kendricks.)
BAKER MAYFIELD: Sorry, which one?
Q. That fourth and five on that long drive. Do you think it was a holding penalty?
BAKER MAYFIELD: Yeah, we were -- a pure progression read going all the way through. Just trying to extend it on fourth down and trying to make something happen. Because there's no reason to throw it away or take a sack. And just trying to extend it as long as possible. Yeah, it just mismatch game.
Q. Did his hold take you away from that guy?
BAKER MAYFIELD: Yeah, it did. We were trying to get him over there on the other side of the field. So it definitely prevented where the ball was going to go. But you got to move through it.
Q. You had a run along the sidelines in the first quarter. Do you think you got it?
BAKER MAYFIELD: Yeah, I don't necessarily know the rules on spotting it, but I thought I was a little bit closer than the spot was.
And then, obviously, got to be better. Fourth down, the false start on fourth and short, situationally, that wasn't our best. Yeah, I thought I was a little bit closer. But I have no idea.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports