10 snapshots that capture the chaotic essence of NFL Week 1

1. Baker Mayfield was having a very bad day, and he was in no mood

Can anyone really blame Baker Mayfield for being upset?

Let’s put aside sides and fan loyalty and rumors and all of it. Baker Mayfield was the Browns quarterback, and the organization passed on him in favor of Deshaun Watson.

That would upset any quarterback, and that’s without factoring what Mayfield has said about how he was treated in the building.

Then there was a bit of “he said, oh wait, did he really say that?” before Week 1. Myles Garrett said the following in response to a report that Mayfield said that he would, “f*** up” the Browns:

Then, Mayfield came out and said he never said that. Whether he said it or not, Garrett got the last word when he sacked him twice on Sunday.

All of the above makes the above photo quite demoralizing. Here’s David Njoku, bracing his former teammate, trying to get him to slow down for a minute. Baker stares coldly ahead, unintentionally perfecting Blue Steel. Njoku appears to want Mayfield to pause for a moment, interact with his former Browns teammates, exchange with them in a moment of goodwill following a game. You know, the shaking of hands sportsmanship that every team is encouraged to practice.

Baker wasn’t having it. We can blame him, we can not blame him, but we know that losing to the Browns and giving them their first win in a season opener in 18 years had to be brutal.