The Browns are heading back to Florida in Week 2, and this one comes with a familiar face on the other sideline. Cleveland visits Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday as both teams try to sort out what their openers really said about them.
Tampa Bay came into the season with a roster that looks different from the one that missed the playoffs last year, even after reaching the postseason in 2024. There’s a case to be made that the Buccaneers are better on paper than they were a year ago. But after last Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, there are still some real questions hanging over this group.
Mayfield’s opener was messy in the worst possible way. He didn’t throw an interception, but he put the ball on the ground three times and lost all three fumbles.
That kind of turnover trouble is exactly why Tampa Bay was reluctant to hand him max money before the contract dispute was finally settled and he got his new deal. He had some good moments, but the ball security issues buried the Buccaneers.
And yes, this game carries extra weight for Mayfield. It would be hard to pretend otherwise.
From his point of view, the Browns essentially moved on from him. Cleveland’s side of the story is simpler: the team wanted an upgrade at quarterback, Mayfield took it poorly, and the Browns moved on to the player many fans now want out.
That makes Sunday’s matchup a pretty simple question for Cleveland’s defense: which Baker Mayfield shows up?
The version from Week 1 was both the reason Tampa Bay stayed in the game and the reason it lost it. If the Buccaneers clean up the turnovers, they have enough talent to make life difficult.
The receiver group has changed, with Mike Evans now in the Bay Area with the San Francisco 49ers. Emeka Egbuka is the top wideout, while Chris Godwin remains the steady veteran in the room. Up front, Tristan Wirfs is still one of the league’s best tackles.
There’s also reason to expect improvement on defense. Rookie Reuben Bain Jr. was viewed as the top defensive end in his draft class, and rookie Josiah Trotter already looks like a future Pro Bowler. The overall talent is there, even if it’s still fair to wonder whether this roster is actually better than the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Todd Bowles’ status is another storyline worth watching. He has been with the Buccaneers for a long time, and under him they’ve been a regular playoff team.
But last season’s late-season stumble exposed some cracks in the foundation, and it’s fair to say Tampa Bay has plateaued. This is a good team in a weak division, but it still hasn’t shown it can make a deep playoff run.
The Bucs haven’t gotten past the divisional round since the year they won the Super Bowl. If they miss the postseason again or suffer an early exit, the Buccaneers could be looking for a new head coach in 2027.
In Other News...
Browns Rookie Tackle Faces A Tough Truth After Uneven Debut
Spencer Fanos first game at left tackle for the Browns came with the kind of immediate stress test that can shape how a rookie is viewed around here. Against the Jaguars, he ran into a tough matchup and spent plenty of snaps dealing with pressure, with Deshaun Watsons play style only adding to the challenge. It was the sort of debut that reminded everyone how unforgiving the position can be, especially when a young lineman is being asked to hold up in less-than-ideal circumstances.
The reviews reflected that reality, with analysts offering mixed assessments of how Fano handled the assignment and where the pressures came from. For Cleveland, the bigger question is not whether the debut was uneven but how quickly he can translate a rough start into growth. The Browns do not need perfection from a rookie tackle right away, but they do need signs that he can adapt, clean up the leaks and keep improving as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Deshaun Watson Put Browns Fans Through Another Brutal Spotlight
Deshaun Watsons latest press conference only widened the spotlight on a Browns season that already feels like it is under a microscope. After the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Watson drew criticism from Stephen A. Smith, who took aim at the quarterbacks play and said the focus should be on what happens on the field, not on complaints about media attention.
Watson is still lined up to start Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the patience around him is not exactly limitless. For Cleveland, the bigger issue is simple: if the performance does not improve quickly, the conversation around Watson is only going to get louder, and the questions about his place as the starter will keep following the Browns everywhere they go. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen Is Making An Old Browns Mistake Look Even Worse
Josh Allens fast start to the 2026 season is only adding to the old ache around the Browns quarterback history. Through two games, the Bills star has piled up nine total touchdowns and 582 passing yards, a reminder of how different things might have looked in Cleveland had the draft gone another way back in 2018. Instead, the Browns chose Baker Mayfield, and the franchise has spent years living with the familiar churn that comes from missing on the most important position in the sport.
The latest surge from Allen has also revived a curious little footnote from that draft cycle, when Jenna Jameson reportedly urged the Browns to take him before the selection was made. It is anecdotal, not an official team position, but it fits the broader pattern in Cleveland: the warning signs were there, the debate was real, and the consequences still linger. Every big Allen performance now works like a fresh reminder of how expensive quarterback instability can be when a team gets the decision wrong. [Read more 🡒]