The Browns didn’t just outlast the Buccaneers on Sunday. They outlasted a weather delay that stretched the final two minutes of the game into a grind that lasted more than two hours, then finished the job with a 23-19 win.
Todd Monken picked up his first victory as an NFL head coach, and Cleveland made it count by surviving a wild finish after the lightning delay hit at the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay was still pushing when play finally resumed, and the Bucs worked their way to Cleveland’s 13-yard line. But a holding penalty knocked the drive off track, and Baker Mayfield then missed an open Emeka Egbuka in the end zone on fourth-and-11 to effectively close the book on the comeback.
Mayfield’s line told the story of another rough outing. After coughing up three fumbles in the season opener, he went 21-of-34 for 182 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also added 29 rushing yards.
Deshaun Watson, meanwhile, delivered what was easily his sharpest showing with Cleveland. After an ugly opener and reports Sunday morning that hinted at a possible benching, Watson responded with a strong performance: 24-of-30 for 238 yards, two touchdowns and 22 rushing yards on seven carries.
Cleveland also got a big night from Denzel Boston, who was everywhere with five catches for 95 yards and a 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Second-year tight end Harold Fannin chipped in with 54 yards on five receptions.
The Browns are now 1-1, and the win could help settle a tense situation with Watson and the fan base before next week’s home opener. Cleveland will host Carolina in Week 3.
In Other News...
Baker Mayfield And Todd Bowles Are Feeling Heat In Tampa Bay
The Buccaneers rocky start has already turned up the temperature in Tampa Bay, with two straight losses leaving Todd Bowles and Baker Mayfield answering for a team that has not matched its own expectations. A defeat against the Browns only added to the unease, and the postgame tone made it clear the problems are not hard to find: penalties, missed tackles and turnovers have all been part of the early mess.
Minnesota is next, and it does not offer much of a breather for a team trying to steady itself before the season slips further off course. For Bowles, the challenge is getting cleaner play and more urgency out of a group that knows the margin for error is already shrinking, while Mayfield and the offense have to find a way to stop feeding the frustration that has followed them out of the first two games. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Already Have A Costly Problem They Must Fix Fast
The Buccaneers home opener only sharpened the early concerns from a 23-19 loss to the Browns, one that dropped Tampa Bay to 0-2 and left familiar issues hanging over the start of the season. Baker Mayfields interception was part of an uneven offensive day, while Bucky Irving provided one of the few consistent bright spots by leading the ground game with 80 rushing yards.
What stood out most was how the game shifted in the second half, when the pass defense started to leak after the run defense had done its job for much of the afternoon. Penalties and missed tackles added to the damage, turning a winnable game into another costly setback, and the Bucs now have little time to clean it up before the problems begin to define their season. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfields Reaction Says Everything About The Bucs Ugly 0-2 Start
After another rough Sunday for quarterbacks around the league, Baker Mayfields postgame reaction fit the mood of a Tampa Bay team still searching for footing. The Buccaneers are off to an ugly 0-2 start, and the frustration around the building is hard to miss after a pair of games that have left little room for comfort.
Mayfield wasnt the only quarterback with something weighing on him after Week 2, but his response stood out because it reflected where the Bucs are right now - disappointed, unsettled and already feeling the pressure that comes with an early hole. With the season still young, Tampa Bay has time to steady itself, but the tone around the team suggests it knows how quickly that margin is shrinking. [Read more 🡒]