Todd Monken’s fourth-down gamble gave Tampa Bay exactly the opening it needed to scrape into halftime with a 9-6 lead over Cleveland, even though neither offense has come close to looking sharp.
The Browns were actually in decent shape defensively when Monken made the call. Cleveland had held Tampa Bay to just five first downs, and Baker Mayfield had already thrown an interception. Still, with the Browns facing fourth-and-1 from their own 34 and 2:50 left in the second quarter, Monken went for it and dialed up a Quinshon Judkins run between the tackles.
It went nowhere. The play was stuffed for a turnover on downs, handing the Buccaneers the ball in excellent field position.
Tampa Bay didn’t exactly seize the moment, but it did enough to cash in. The Bucs moved inside the Cleveland 11 before the drive bogged down, helped in part by a screen that lost yardage and then two Mayfield incompletions. Chase McLaughlin finished the sequence with his third field goal of the half, pushing Tampa Bay ahead by three.
Mayfield has been held to 9-of-15 passing for 45 yards with an interception, and Tampa Bay’s offense has been every bit as uneven as the numbers suggest. The Buccaneers have only seven first downs, 126 yards, and are 3-of-8 on third down.
Cleveland’s pass rush has been one of the few consistent bright spots. The Browns have already logged three sacks, with Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman, and Mason Graham each getting one.
The Browns’ offense, though, has been stuck in the mud. They’ve managed just three first downs and 59 total yards, and they’re 0-of-6 on third down.
Somehow, despite all that, they’re still hanging around. The penalties haven’t helped either, with Cleveland flagged six times for 50 yards.
Deshaun Watson, who may be making his final start in an orange helmet, is 7-of-9 for 55 yards. Judkins has 18 yards on nine carries, as Tampa Bay has clearly committed to slowing him down. Harold Fannin has Cleveland’s best offensive play of the day, a 21-yard catch on Watson’s top throw so far.
Tampa Bay will get the first crack at changing the feel of the game after halftime, since the Buccaneers are set to receive the second-half kickoff.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Get One Last Chance After Bizarre Late-Game Delay
A Week 2 meeting between the Buccaneers and Browns turned into a long night at Raymond James Stadium, with lightning in the area forcing a delay that stretched beyond two hours just as the fourth quarter was winding down. When the game stopped, Cleveland was ahead 23-19, but Tampa Bay had already put itself in position to make one last push, and neither side had burned through its timeouts.
When play finally resumed, the Buccaneers still had a live chance to flip the outcome, adding an unusual layer of drama to a game that had already spent most of the evening on edge. For Tampa Bay, the pause did not erase the fact that a comeback was still on the table, and the final moments were set up to hinge on execution after one of the strangest interruptions a regular-season game can offer. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Get An Early Opening In Cleveland's Defense
The Browns opened their 2026 season leaning heavily on a familiar defensive pattern, sitting in Cover 3 on first and second down before switching to man coverage on third down. It was a look that opposing offenses were quick to identify, with both the Jaguars and Buccaneers finding ways to test those tendencies and force Cleveland to reveal what it wanted to be on each snap.
For Tampa Bay, the early takeaway is less about one game than about the chance it created to probe a defense that may not be hiding much in obvious situations. The sample is tiny, but if Cleveland keeps showing that same down-and-distance rhythm, future opponents will have a clear starting point for how to plan around it. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Get Needed Help Back But One Defensive Absence Still Looms
The Buccaneers got a little healthier heading into their Week 2 meeting with the Browns, with wide receiver Jalen McMillan and running back Sean Tucker both available for Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. Those are the kinds of late-week checks that matter for a Tampa Bay offense still trying to settle in early, and the official inactive list gives the team a bit more flexibility on that side of the ball.
The bigger concern on the other side is cornerback Jacob Parrish, who will not play because of a back injury, leaving one defensive absence still hanging over the Bucs as they face a Cleveland team that is relatively intact. The Browns have only guard Teven Jenkins ruled out, and cornerback Tyson Campbell is expected to be available, so Tampa Bay will need to sort through its own missing piece while trying to keep pace with an opponent that arrives in much better shape. [Read more 🡒]