The Buccaneers are heading into Week 2 with a clear target in front of them, and now they know who they’ll be facing under center.
After opening the season with a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay returns to Raymond James Stadium looking for its first win. The opponent is the Cleveland Browns, who also stumbled in Week 1 against the Jaguars. Deshaun Watson started that game, and despite the speculation around Cleveland’s quarterback situation, he appears set to keep the job for another week.
Browns head coach Todd Monken told reporters that he anticipates QB Deshaun Watson will start Sunday at Tampa Bay. Monken said "there were some really good things on film."
That evaluation fits the numbers Watson put up against Jacksonville. He finished with a completion rate above 70 percent, threw for 205 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and added 38 yards rushing.
Still, the outing had plenty of rough edges. The interception came on the opening drive, he was sacked five times, and the touchdown arrived in garbage time.
The bigger question in Cleveland has been whether Monken would turn to Shedeur Sanders, but for now Watson gets another shot to prove he should remain the starter.
For Tampa Bay, the assignment is obvious. The Buccaneers didn’t generate much pressure on Joe Burrow in Week 1, and that has to change if they want to take control of this matchup. Watson did not have any Browns offensive linemen charged with allowing a sack against the Jaguars, but he still found himself in trouble often enough to take punishment.
If the Buccaneers can finally get after the quarterback, they’ll put themselves in position to cash in at home and leave Week 2 with their first win of the year.
In Other News...
Bucs Loss Took On New Meaning After What Happened To Joe Burrow
The Buccaneers walked off the field in Week 1 with a loss to Cincinnati, but the game took on a different tone once Joe Burrows postgame soreness became part of the conversation. Burrow guided the Bengals to a 33-27 win over Tampa Bay, throwing for 254 yards and a touchdown while also taking off for 20 yards, even as he absorbed two significant hits along the way.
For Tampa Bay, the result now sits beside the bigger question of Burrows condition after back tightness and shoulder discomfort showed up in practice later in the week. Burrow has said he expects to play against Houston in Week 2, which only sharpens the sense that the Bucs were part of a hard-fought opener that may have left a lasting mark beyond the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Evans Already Got What He Was Missing In Tampa
After 12 seasons in Tampa Bay, Mike Evans has quickly found the kind of role he was looking for with the San Francisco 49ers. In his first game with his new team, he was targeted often on third downs, caught six passes for 49 yards and a touchdown, and immediately looked like a player the offense intended to lean on rather than fit in around.
For Evans, the move was about chasing another Super Bowl while staying central to the game plan, and early signs suggest the 49ers are willing to make that happen. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has already praised the way Evans has fit and pointed to an offense built to play to his strengths, which makes the next stretch worth watching for anyone who followed his long run in Tampa. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Just Gave The Bucs An Early Problem They Feared
The Buccaneers left Week 1 with a familiar kind of frustration: a competitive offense, a chance to win, and too many giveaways to survive. Tampa Bay fell 33-27 to the Bengals, undone by four fumbles in all, three of them coming from Baker Mayfield in a game where the Bucs still managed to move the ball without star wide receiver Mike Evans.
Todd Bowles didnt hide from the obvious issue afterward, making it clear the quarterback has to take better care of the football. Even so, the coach also pointed to the way the offense functioned and sounded encouraged by what it could become, which is why the turnovers sting so much more than a typical opener. The Bucs can live with a few early-season growing pains, but they know the margin for error gets thin fast when the ball keeps hitting the turf. [Read more 🡒]