Baker Mayfield, Browns Not Happy With Officiating After Dramatic Loss

Two of Cleveland’s biggest stars, quarterback Baker Mayfield and defensive end Myles Garrett, criticized the referees during their postgame comments after a heartbreaking loss to the Chargers 47-42 in Los Angeles.

Both players tried to temper their criticism with acknowledgments that they should have won the game regardless, and that they left too many points out on the field. But ultimately, both Mayfield and Garrett let their true feelings be heard and will surely be receiving a fine from the league this week as a result.

"I mean late in the game--might as well just forward the fine letter. We asked the ref on the sideline how the hell he missed that call,” Mayfield said after the game. “I mean, they're shoving Donovan Peoples-Jones out of bounds and then Higgy (Rashard Higgins) gets grabbed, so there's two PIs on one play. They don't call it.

“We left too many points on the field in the first half. That's very frustrating. We didn't do our job enough to just take the ball game away and we left in the hands of someone else. So we gotta be better on that."

Garrett expressed similar frustration after being asked about a late pass interference call on corner A.J. Green against receiver Mike Williams.

"It was terrible,” Garrett said. “I mean, you've seen pictures, you've seen videos. It was a terrible call. It is what it is. Refs are humans and they make mistakes, but we get held to a high standard and high degree of excellence and so should they."

The Chargers were on the ‘receiving’ end of referee uncertainty this week, but just last week the team faced similar bewilderment against the Raiders on Monday Night Football. Star Los Angeles defensive end Joey Bosa ripped the refs in his postgame speech last week, too.

The irate Browns (3-2) face a dangerous, undefeated Cardinals team at home in Cleveland next weekend.