TAMPA - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dropped to 0-2 for the first time since 2014 after losing to the Cleveland Browns in Week Two of the 2026 regular season, a defeat that ended the franchise’s streak of avoiding back-to-back season-opening losses - the third-longest such active streak in the NFL behind the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield, facing the team that drafted him first overall in 2018, completed 21 of 34 passes for 182 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and added 29 yards on four carries. His five-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Emeka Egbuka in the third quarter temporarily gave Tampa Bay a 10-point lead and was Mayfield’s 96th touchdown pass since taking over as the Buccaneers’ starter in 2023 - second most in the NFL in that span behind Detroit’s Jared Goff, who has thrown 107.
Mayfield’s 21 completions pushed his career total with Tampa Bay to 1,158, moving him past Josh Freeman into third place in franchise history in that category. Jameis Winston leads with 1,563 completions from 2015 to 2019, followed by Tom Brady’s 1,376 from 2020 to 2022.
Kicker Chase McLaughlin accounted for the Buccaneers’ remaining 13 points, going four for four on field goal attempts and converting the extra point after Egbuka’s score. His first attempt of the afternoon was a 59-yarder that tied for the third-longest field goal in franchise history - a list McLaughlin now dominates, having set the all-time record with a 65-yarder against Philadelphia on Sept. 28, 2025. Through two games, McLaughlin is six for six on field goal attempts and is tied for second among all NFL kickers with 22 points, one behind Cincinnati’s Evan McPherson. McLaughlin is also the most accurate kicker in NFL history on attempts from 50 yards and beyond, connecting on 45 of 53 such attempts for an 84.9 percent success rate, ahead of Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell at 80.3 percent.
Tampa Bay won the ground game decisively despite the loss, generating 137 yards on 25 carries for a 5.5-yard average. Third-year running back Bucky Irving carried 17 times for 89 yards. Since entering the NFL in 2024, Irving has averaged 4.55 yards per carry among backs with at least 300 attempts, 10th best in the league in that span. The Buccaneers’ defense held Cleveland to just 44 rushing yards on 23 carries, with Browns lead back Quinshon Judkins managing only 21 yards on 12 handoffs at 1.8 yards per tote. Cleveland’s 44 yards ranked as the 15th fewest the Buccaneers have ever allowed in a game in which an opponent ran the ball at least 20 times.
On defense, second-year outside linebacker David Walker recorded his first career sack, bringing down Deshaun Watson on the first play of the second quarter to force a field goal attempt. Rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter led the team in tackles for the second consecutive week with 11 stops, giving him 21 through two games - fifth most by a Buccaneer through the first two weeks of a season. Safety Tykee Smith posted a career-high three tackles for loss among his five stops, and defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson added a sack and five tackles. Robinson is tied with Pittsburgh’s Cameron Heyward for the most tackles by a defensive lineman in the NFL since the start of the 2024 season, with 155.
The Buccaneers return to action in Week Three with a chance to avoid their worst start since 2014.