The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to the visiting Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium, 23-19 and start the 2026 campaign 0-2 for the first time in 12 years. A lightning strike in the area led to a 132-minute delay in regulation and after the matchup resumed, the Bucs had a chance to punch the ball into the end zone trailing by four points but could not score, solidifying the loss. On second down, Baker Mayfield delivered a fade ball to Ted Hurst III in the corner of the end zone, but the rookie was unable to make the catch amidst the torrential downpour and a defender blanketing in coverage. A subsequent holding call pushed the Bucs back and the final effort, a pass to Emeka Egbuka, went incomplete.
"We've dealt with adversity before," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "This is an adverse situation again, first time at the beginning of the season but we're 0-2 right now. We've got to pull ourselves up by our boots and we've got to win."
Offensive Outlook
The Buccaneers were unable to reach the end zone until the third quarter with negative plays and incompletions in the red area. Throughout the day, Chase McLaughlin made field goals of 59, 45, 31 and 31 yards, the first of which tied for the third-longest in franchise history. Browns kicker Andre Szmyt made all three of his attempts from 50, 34 and 34 yards. Overall, Mayfield completed 21 of 34 passes for 182 yards, throwing a touchdown pass to Emeka Egbuka in the third quarter to give the Buccaneers a 10-point cushion.
The Bucs' offense finally got into a rhythm in the second half, taking the opening possession 65 yards on nine plays for the team's lone touchdown in Week Two. The drive featured a 24-yard gain by Chris Godwin Jr., who displayed his RAC prowess, along with a trademark Mayfield scramble on third-and-nine, which culminated in his five-yard touchdown dart to Egbuka. Following the Browns' touchdown to Denzel Boston, Mayfield delivered a dime to Tez Johnson downfield on a post route for a 49-yard gain but the Bucs were unable to cash in and settled for a McLaughlin 31-yard field goal.
Defensive Rundown
Tampa Bay's defense allowed 267 yards of offense, including just 44 on the ground. Rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter led the Buccaneers in tackles for the second week in a row with a combined 11 but missed time with a shoulder injury. Edge rusher David Walker came in on a third down package and recorded his first career sack with a rip move and cornerback Benjamin Morrison logged seven tackles and a pass defensed. However, missed tackles hindered the defense's efficiency down the stretch, surrendering yards after catch to the Browns. Deshaun Watson completed 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with a passer rating of 121.9.
"Too many penalties, offensively," said Bowles. "Too many missed tackles in the second half defensively. Nobody is coming to save us. We've got to fix ourselves and we've got to fix it in a hurry."
