NORMAN, Okla. -- When it comes to the negative, Oklahoma?coach Bob Stoops prefers to avoid singling out his players.But during his weekly Monday news conference, Stoops couldnt help but reference one player on the heels of the Sooners 33-23 Week 1 loss to the Houston Cougars.Stoops, however, was a few minutes too late. That player had already singled himself out.Thats all on me, quarterback Baker Mayfield said of the offenses second-half problems. [The receivers] got open. Thats all on me as the leader of the team and the captain. Its my job to deliver the ball. They got open for me. They did their part.Now, its my responsibility to just deliver it to them.Oklahomas offense came out humming in the opening minutes of the game, scoring two touchdowns and a field goal through its first four drives. Mayfields decisiveness was a big reason, as he quickly delivered passes to the Sooners top playmakers -- notably Joe Mixon.Just comparing the first and second half, the first half I got the ball out of my hands quick, eliminated the best part of Houstons defense, which we had game-planned, Mayfield said. Then second half, obviously things changed. I didnt get the ball out as quick as I wanted.In that second half, Oklahomas offense dissembled into Mayfield scrambling around haplessly in the backfield trying to make a big play that wasnt there. As a result, the Sooners didnt score until a meaningless touchdown in the final two minutes when the outcome had already been decided.I only have one quarterback. I dont like to throw players [under the bus] or name names, but at times, Baker held on [to the ball] and instead of taking what was open and what was there in his first read, was waiting for something different, Stoops said. Something that takes a little longer to progress, and thats not how the offense operates. We had guys in certain spot that would have been easier throws and wouldve helped us.Mayfields go-for-broke, second-half style resulted in several ugly numbers. He ended up with more rushing attempts (13) than Mixon and Samaje Perine combined (12), to go along with a negative rushing total. After completing all nine of his passing attempts in the first half, Mayfield had nine incompletions in the second. He also took five sacks that, as Stoops pointed out, were more on him than the receivers not getting open or the offensive line protecting.On a few occasions, he might have been more effective taking something sooner and that was available instead or waiting for that to come open -- Im thinking of one particular case that sticks in my mind, said Stoops, who later alluded to another play where Mayfield kept the ball instead of pitching it on an option call. If he pitches the ball, its going to get [the running back] 50 [yards] or a touchdown, then he doesnt pitch the ball.I think [Mayfield was] probably pressing. Trying to make the big play instead of the simple play and the obvious play.The Houston loss wasnt all due to Mayfields pressing. Oklahoma executed disastrously on a pair of critical plays in the second half that had nothing to do with its quarterback.After Oklahomas first drive of the third quarter stalled out, Houston returned a 53-yard field goal attempt 109 yards for a game-swinging touchdown. Later in the fourth quarter, the Sooners called a beautifully designed double pass that seemed destined to be a touchdown. Receiver Dede Westbrook, however, overthrew a wide-open Dimitri Flowers. The next play, Mayfield was sacked and stripped, and the Cougars recovered the fumble.We were in a good balance, and then the third quarter happens, and now youre behind 16, Stoops said. We fumbled two times and we had the long field goal that gets returned. Then all of a sudden youre in a hole and you lose your patience. ... it gets you out of your rhythm.The Sooners have a prime opportunity to regain their rhythm this weekend against Louisiana-Monroe before Ohio State comes to town Sept. 17. With TCU and Texas to follow, Oklahoma can get back into the playoff mix, despite opening with a loss, if it can reel off three consecutive wins against such formidable opponents.But the only way the Sooners will have any chance of accomplishing such a feat is if Stoops most important player performs much better than he did in Week 1.Ive just got to be better, Mayfield said. I know what to expect of myself, and knowing how the team reacts to my play, its even more important. Just getting the ball out and keeping everybody on a positive note and keeping the attitude good and on the bright side is important for me, and ultimately, thats getting the ball out of my hands, getting it into their hands and letting them make plays.Black Friday Nike Air Vapormax . -- Vincent Lecavalier got everything but the desired result in his return to Tampa Bay. Wholesale Nike Air Vapormax . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. https://www.fakevapormaxwholesale.com/ . The incident occurred at 19:56 of the second period of the Kings 4-2 road win over Edmonton on Sunday. Nolan punched Oilers forward Jesse Joensuu in the jaw in front of the Kings goal during a scrum. Cheap Nike Air Vapormax . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. Nike Air Vapormax Online . The incident occurred at 19:56 of the second period of the Kings 4-2 road win over Edmonton on Sunday. Nolan punched Oilers forward Jesse Joensuu in the jaw in front of the Kings goal during a scrum.The Washington Wizards had chances to win road games against the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. They just could not make plays when necessary to get those wins.Washington has had two days to digest its last-second loss to the Spurs and is hoping to get it done Monday night when it visits the Brooklyn Nets.The Wizards are 6-12 with three losses in their last four games. It is the last two defeats that are especially frustrating.Last Wednesday against Oklahoma City, the Wizards came back from a 16-point deficit and held a seven-point lead with 5:35 left on a 3-pointer by Bradley Beal. They wound up with a 126-115 overtime loss by going 6-of-19 the rest of the way.Two nights later in San Antonio, Washington held an 11-point lead early on and wound up coming back from 10 points down to get the game tied twice in the final 84 seconds. The ending was a Kawhi Leonard 20-footer with 20.1 seconds remaining and when Otto Porter missed a floater with 1.2 seconds remaining, the Wizards wound up with a 107-105 loss.Once again, we competed well and the game came down to one play, Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. I didnt like the way we played against them last week at our place, but tonight we did everything we could possibly do to get the win except get the win.It is a familiar refrain for the Wizards. Of the Wizards 12 defeats, half have been single digits with two of those close losses coming in overtime.We fought and we are making strides -- we just have to find a way to make stops, Wall said after getting 17 points and 15 rebounds. We need to get over that hump. You cant have that many turnovers and beat a team that executes as well as San Antonio; for us to even be in the game with them at their home place with that many turnovers is impressive.On Friday, in the final three minutes of quarters, the Wizards were 8 of 24 from the floor. They were 7 of 20 in tthose situations in the first three quarters, which eventually set up the frustrating finish.ddddddddddddLet another one go, Wall said. There are about seven games already this season for us that can haunt us (in regards to playoffs).The Nets have lost nine of their 10 games since they held a 4-5 record Nov. 12. Only two of those losses have been by single digits and most of those often feature a bad quarter.For most of this skid, third quarters were problematic. In Saturdays 112-103 loss at Milwaukee, the Nets outscored the Bucks by seven in the third only to have the collapse occur late in the fourth.In the final 12 minutes, the Nets held four one-point leads and a two-point lead on a 3-pointer by Brook Lopez. In the final 5:20, the Nets were outscored 20-9 by missing seven straight while allowing the Bucks to make four of their last six shots and hit 12 free throws.We were down one with five minutes, I thought we couldnt score, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. We struggled to score.Bojan Bogdanovic led the Nets with 24 points but Lopez was held to 13 on 3-of-17 shooting. He made 3 of 9 shots from 3-point range but was 0-of-8 from inside the arc.We just kind of hurt ourselves, Lopez said. I definitely wasnt happy with the way I played. I am very disappointed in myself. That definitely affected the outcome. I think I let us down tonight, no question.Lopez is averaging 19.6 points but shooting a career-low 45.2 percent. He is shooting 37.3 from long range as he consistently becomes a perimeter threat for the first time in his career but inside the arc has been difficult at times as Lopez is 1 of 12 on two-point attempts.The Wizards have won eight of the last 10 meetings and have swept the season series in two of the last three seasons. ' ' '