Browns Get the Last Laugh in Baker Mayfield’s Revenge Game
Baker Mayfield had another opportunity to get revenge against the franchise that once made him the No. 1 overall pick. Instead, his former team walked out of Tampa with the last laugh.
The Cleveland Browns defeated Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-19 on Sunday, earning their first victory of the season and improving to 1-1 after a disastrous opening week. Mayfield, who Cleveland selected first overall in the 2018 NFL Draft before eventually trading him in 2022, fell to 0-2 in his career against his former team.
Mayfield finished the afternoon 21-of-34 for 182 yards, one touchdown and one interception, but Cleveland’s defense made life difficult for its former quarterback. The Browns consistently generated pressure, sacking Mayfield three times and intercepting him in the first quarter.
On the other side, Deshaun Watson delivered one of his strongest performances in a Browns uniform, completing 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers. Cleveland found itself trailing 16-6 during the third quarter before Watson connected with rookie Denzel Boston for a 55-yard touchdown. He later found Blake Whiteheart for a 17-yard score with 3:51 remaining, putting Cleveland ahead 23-19.
Then things got bizarre.
With Tampa Bay driving for a potential game-winning touchdown and reaching Cleveland’s 28-yard line at the two-minute warning, lightning and torrential rain forced the game into a two-hour, 12-minute weather delay. Players returned to their locker rooms while fans were instructed to seek shelter as Raymond James Stadium was hammered by the storm.
More than two hours later, Mayfield and the Buccaneers returned to the field with one final chance to steal the game. Tampa Bay advanced into the red zone, but Cleveland’s defense refused to break. A holding penalty helped push the Buccaneers backward before Mayfield’s fourth-down attempt for Emeka Egbuka fell incomplete, sealing one of the strangest Browns victories in recent memory.
A Completely Different Browns Team From Week 1
Perhaps the most encouraging part of the victory was how different Cleveland looked compared with its season opener.
The Browns entered Week 2 following an ugly 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, a game in which Cleveland fell behind 24-0 early in the second quarter. Against Tampa Bay, the Browns remained within striking distance throughout the first half, trailing only 9-6 at halftime before responding when the Buccaneers stretched their advantage to 16-6.
The improvement was especially noticeable offensively. Watson protected the football, Cleveland converted several crucial third downs during its eventual game-winning drive, and the Browns scored 17 points after falling behind by 10. The defense also responded after struggling in Week 1, producing pressure, forcing a turnover and ultimately making the biggest stop of the afternoon with the game on the line.
For Mayfield, the long-awaited revenge will have to wait.
For Cleveland, a season that looked concerning after just one week suddenly has some life. After enduring a 10-point deficit, their former franchise quarterback and more than two hours of brutal Florida weather, the Browns emerged from Tampa with a 23-19 victory and their first win of the 2026 season.
