The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were defeated by the Cleveland Browns, 23-19 at home in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season.

TOP PERFORMERS 🏈

Buccaneers:

• Passing: QB Baker Mayfield - 20/34 for 182 yards, 1 TD & 1 INT
• Rushing: RB Bucky Irving - 17 att. for 89 yards
• Receiving: WR Tez Johnson - 1 rec. for 49 yards
• Defense: DL A'Shawn Robinson - 5 total tackles, 1.0 sack

Browns:

• Passing: QB Deshaun Watson - 24/30 for 238 yards, 2 TDs
• Rushing: RB Quinshon Judkins - 12 att. for 21 yards
• Receiving: WR Denzel Boston - 5 rec. for 95 yards, 1 TD
• Defense: DT Mason Graham - 3 total tackles, 1.0 sack

TAP HERE TO VIEW THE FULL BOX SCORE

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to the Cleveland Browns, 23-19 at Raymond James Stadium and fall to 0-2 on the season. The Buccaneers' offense was not able to consistently get into a rhythm throughout the matchup. The Bucs totaled 313 yards of offense and Baker Mayfield completed 21 of 24 attempts for 182 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Tez Johnson led the Bucs in receiving with 49 yards and Emeka Egbuka scored on a five-yard touchdown pass. David Walker and A'Shawn Robinson recorded sacks on Deshaun Watson.

The Browns won the coin toss and elected to receive to start the game. The Bucs' defense forced a quick three-and-out, with Yaya Diaby dropping KC Concepcion Jr. in the backfield for a loss of six on second down. Tampa Bay's opening 53-yard drive offensive drive, including a 12-yard gain by Chris Godwin Jr. off a jet sweep, culminated in a Chase McLaughlin 59-yard field goal.

Midway through the first, the Browns evened the score off an Andre Szmyt 50-yard field goal following a false start penalty. Despite a 38-yard gain by Bucky Irving on the Bucs' ensuing drive that brought Tampa Bay to the 33-yard line, the Bucs had to settle for a McLaughlin 45-yard field goal to make it 6-3. On the aforementioned play, Irving quickly bounced to the outside then made a decisive cut back inside to avoid a defender for an additional gain. The Bucs' defense then forced a quick three-and-out, with Benjamin Morrison and Tykee Smith tracking Quinshon Judkins in the backfield, tackling him for a loss of four on second down.

On the next drive, Baker Mayfield scrambled on third-and-10 for a first down, but was intercepted on the next play by Myles Harden at the Cleveland 47 and he ran it back 25 yards to the Tampa Bay 28-yard line. To begin the second quarter, David Walker dropped Deshaun Watson for a loss of eight on third down to force a Szmyt field goal, evening the score at six. The Browns next drive ended in a punt, with Bucs' safety Keionte Scott firing off the edge on a blitz for a seven-yard sack on Watson. Following a Mayfield sack on third down that resulted in a punt, the Bucs' defense held on fourth down which led to a turnover on downs. Just before the half, McLaughlin kicked a 31-yarder to give the Bucs a 9-6 lead. In the first half, the Bucs totaled 126 yards and completed just three-of-eight attempts on third down. The defense held the Browns to 0-6 on third down through two quarters.

The Bucs were able to reach the end zone early in the third quarter, capping off a 65-yard, seven-play drive with a five-yard touchdown pass to Emeka Egbuka. On the drive, a 24-yard gain over the middle of the field by Chris Godwin Jr., a 14-yard gain for Irving around the left edge and a third-down scramble by Mayfield led to the score and 16-6 lead for the home team.

Late in the third, Szmyt hit a 34-yard field goal following an incompletion to Denzel Boston on third down. To tie the score at 16 with just over a minute to go in the third quarter, Boston evaded a Bucs' defender and accelerated for a 55-yard touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, the Bucs were able to move down the field courtesy of a 49-yard gain by Tez Johnson on a post route. However, the Bucs were unable to cash in with a touchdown and settled for a McLaughlin 31-yard field goal.  The Browns answered with a 12-play, 68-yard scoring drive that ended in a 17-yard touchdown pass to Blake Whiteheart, giving the Browns a 23-19 lead.

A lightning delay led to a two-hour intermission and after the game resumed at 6:10 p.m., the Bucs went with a run-heavy script amidst the downpour. Ted Hurst III caught a pass for a gain of six and a subsequent holding penalty pushed the Bucs back 10 yards. Mayfield then threw a fade ball to Hurst, who could not hang on for the catch in the end zone. An incompletion to Egbuka sealed the team's fate.

What is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' record?

0-2

Who scored touchdowns for the Buccaneers in Week Two vs. the Browns?

WR Emeka Egbuka scored a five-yard receiving touchdown for the Bucs in the third quarter.

Who was a standout on offense?

RB Bucky Irving continued to his hot start to the season with 17 rushes for 89 yards.

Who was a standout on defense?

OLB David Walker got his first sack of his NFL career.

Who do the Buccaneers play next?

They play the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, September 27th at 4:05 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium in Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season.