4 major observations from Baker Mayfield’s performance vs. 49ers
By Dean Jones
Baker Mayfield’s pick-six was shocking
The Carolina Panthers kept things pretty close throughout the first half, which was surprising to see due to offensive inefficiency once again. However, one critical moment just before the break turned the game on its head.
Baker Mayfield’s hesitancy in the pocket proved to be his undoing yet again. After an initial pump fake left him off balance, the quarterback opted to throw rather than reset his feet, resulting in a pick-six that completely tipped the scales in the San Francisco 49ers’ favor.
This was a hole Carolina couldn’t get out of. And despite Mayfield enjoying one of his better games statistically, another costly turnover in a critical situation was shocking and disappointing in equal measure.
The drop-off in Mayfield’s production within Ben McAdoo’s scheme is alarming. It isn’t clicking and protecting the football is something the Heisman Trophy winner hasn’t done effectively over the last fortnight and this giveaway was the worst of all.
Mayfield had no business making this throw. Having a little more composure and familiarity could have made all the difference, but this was a bad decision in keeping with what we’ve seen across the offense in 2022.