BEREA Germaine Pratt Jersey , Ohio (AP) — Baker Mayfield went from scowling at Hue Jackson to glaring at critics.Three days after he tried to embarrass his former coach with a prolonged stare down in the closing minutes of Cleveland’s win over Cincinnati, Mayfield owned up to his actions and then said he doesn’t regret them.“I don’t get why people have a problem with football being a competitive sport,” Mayfield said Wednesday as the Browns (7-7-1) prepared for their season finale in Baltimore. “You’re supposed to play with emotion. You’re supposed to play with passion. Quite honestly, if you don’t like it, whatever. Football is not meant to be a soft game. I could care less.”With the Browns clinging to an eight-point lead Sunday, Mayfield connected with tight end David Njoku for a game-sealing 66-yard gain. As he ran past Cincinnati’s sideline, the rookie quarterback looked directly at Jackson, who was fired earlier this season by the Browns. Mayfield then kept his eyes trained on Jackson as he shuffled and backpedaled his way down the field.Following the game, the No. 1 overall pick, who has guided the Browns to the biggest one-season turnaround in franchise history, said “No idea what you’re talking about” when asked about his antics http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-ryan-finley-jersey , which came a few weeks after he gave Jackson the cold shoulder following a game in Cincinnati and called his former coach “fake” on social media.The glowering gaze — and an earlier crude gesture he performed on the sideline after throwing a touchdown pass — drew criticism that Mayfield simply dismissed.He’s not going to change his act.“I’ve said it, I’m not a cookie-cutter quarterback, but everybody is different,” Mayfield said. “Everybody leads a different way. Everybody is competitive in a different way. I’m not trying to be anybody else. I’ve been who I am and that’s gotten me here. I’m going to continue to do that because I try to improve every week. I’m not trying to get anybody’s approval. I’m trying to win football games and do this for as long as I can. That’s the goal.“And the guys inside this locker room know that. They know I’ll fight for them. They know I’ll take a bullet for them, and to me that’s what matters. I don’t have to make any friends outside this locker room. I’m not trying to do that. Once they’re in there, they know exactly what they’re going to get and that’s what really matters.”Of course, Mayfield’s on-field behavior is nothing new.He earned something of a bad-boy reputation while at Oklahoma, where among other things, he grabbed his crotch while taunting Kansas players; tried to plant a Sooners flag in the middle of Ohio State’s field after a win; and got arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct during the offseason in Arkansas.Mayfield has apologized for those incidents. But as for his behavior as a pro, he said he’s not concerned that he’s pushing things too far.“That sounds like the exact questions I got before the combine,” said Mayfield Renell Wren Jersey , who earlier in the day was voted the team’s Joe Thomas Player of the Year and AFC offensive player of the week. “No. Not one bit.”There’s no denying what Mayfield has meant to the Browns (7-7-1), who in addition to spoiling the Ravens’ playoff hopes can clinch their first winning season since 2007. He’s 6-6 as a starter, thrown 24 touchdown passes — two shy of the NFL rookie record — and has an entire city believing that pro football is finally back.Mayfield has almost singlehandedly revived the Browns, who are willing to deal with the consequences of his conduct.“If he talks a little bit more or has a little bit of swagger to him, that’s what makes him special and we’re going to roll with that,” said guard Joel Bitonio. “If he ever gets a penalty or something, then we can get after him a little bit, but right now he’s our quarterback and that’s what we got to roll with. … It’s something that I’m sure people are going to target him for.“Hopefully it doesn’t lead to a cheap shot or something like that.”NOTES: Rookie CB Denzel Ward remains in concussion protocol and could miss Sunday’s finale. … DT Larry Ogunjobi (biceps), C JC Tretter (ankle) and LB Tanner Vallejo (hamstring) also sat out practice. … Bitonio was selected the team’s “Good Guy” award winner for his cooperation with the media for the second year in a row.
Aaron Nola will get to pitch in front of his home fans in Philadelphia a final time Wednesday before he likely gets the chance to pitch in the All-Star Game later this month.

Nola will be on the mound as the Phillies close out a brief, two-game set with the Baltimore Orioles at Citizens Bank Park. The game, which is Philadelphia’s final home contest before the All-Star break http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-michael-jordan-jersey , will start at 4:05 p.m. on the holiday.

Nola (10-2, 2.48 ERA) has been dominant all season for the Phillies, but he has been especially good at home. The 25-year-old is 7-0 with a 1.77 ERA and 0.911 WHIP in eight starts at Citizens Bank Park this season.

Nola, who has never pitched against Baltimore, has not surrendered more than three earned runs in any of those home starts. Last Thursday, he gave up one run on five hits and two walks and struck out eight in 7 2/3 innings against the Washington Nationals. Nola got the win in the Phillies’ 4-3 victory.

“I actually thought he got stronger as he inched towards the end of the game,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler told MLB.com regarding Nola. “Even there in the last inning, somewhere around that 105-pitch mark, it almost seemed like he was getting sharper.”

The Phillies are 29-16 at home after Tuesday night’s 3-2 win against the Orioles. Philadelphia has more home wins than any team in the National League, but after Wednesday the club won’t play at Citizens Bank Park again until July 20.

The Phillies will try to get their 30th home win of the season against Orioles rookie Yefry Ramirez.

A right-hander, Ramirez (0-1 Greedy Williams Jersey , 2.89) will be making just the second start of his major league career. The 24-year-old went 4 1/3 innings against the Boston Red Sox on June 13, giving up three runs on four hits while striking out six in his first start.

Ramirez threw five scoreless innings of relief against the Seattle Mariners last Thursday in his only other big league appearance. He had a 3.88 ERA and averaged 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings in 14 starts with Triple-A Norfolk this season.

“I don’t want to broadcast it for the other team, but the changeup,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter told the Baltimore Sun when speaking about Ramirez’s strong points. “Hitters are so much more in swing mode, so to speak, up here. It’s because they’re good hitters. That’s why they’re in the big leagues. … He’s having a good year down there.”

The Orioles have lost eight of their last nine games and are 0-2 against the Phillies this season. At 24-60 they have the worst record in baseball. Baltimore did not lose its 60th game of the 2017 season until Aug. 13.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, has won three games in a row and five of its last six. At 46-37, the Phillies have a chance to go 10 games over .500 for the first time this season with another win.

Wednesday marks the third straight season the Phillies have played a home game on the Fourth of July. They lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates on the holiday last year.