It has been a rough start to the season for the Carolina Panthers and quarterback Baker Mayfield, and things did not get any easier in their Week 4 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
Mayfield struggled heavily for most of the game, throwing for only 197 yards while turning the ball over three times in a 26-16 loss to Arizona.
The struggles on offense were clear to Panthers fans in attendance at Bank of America Stadium, and a viral video emerged of Panthers fans loudly booing Mayfield in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game.
Baker is getting booed off the field by Panthers fans 😬 pic.twitter.com/1H1AuQenpR
— Fanatics Sportsbook (@FanaticsBook) October 2, 2022
Mayfield was asked about the harsh reactions from the fans following the game and did not mince words about how this impacted the team.
“Did we go down and score a touchdown after they started booing? Yes,” said Mayfield on how the boos affected him.
Asked if the boos affected him, Mayfield replies: "Did we go down and score a touchdown after they started booing? Yes."
— Darin Gantt (@daringantt) October 2, 2022
Mayfield has always taken exception to the criticism sent his way over his career, but this certainly won’t gain him any fans moving forward.
The criticism from fans certainly seems justified considering the Panthers’ offensive performance through the season’s first four weeks.
They are currently averaging only 262.3 yards per game on offense this year through four games. This ranks as the third worst offense in the NFL in that statistic.
A team with some elite weapons like Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore certainly should not be as bad as it has thus far, and a good portion of the blame has to be pointed at Mayfield for these struggles.
They will look to turn their season around with a matchup against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5 in what could be a crucial matchup for both Baker Mayfield and the Panthers.
[Darin Gantt, PointsBet Sportsbook]
