TAMPA - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers open their 2026 home schedule Sunday against the Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium, with both teams desperate to avoid an 0-2 start after Week One losses and Tampa installed as 8.5-point favorites.
The Buccaneers have not lost the first two games of a season in 12 years, a streak that analysts say gives the matchup added urgency as Tampa seeks a return to playoff contention. The “Baker Mayfield Revenge Game” storyline has dominated pregame coverage, with the former No. 1 overall pick returning to face the franchise that drafted him and released him after four seasons.
Brooke Cersosimo of NFL.com came down firmly on Tampa’s side. “I fully expect to see a more poised Baker Mayfield in his return to Raymond James Stadium and against the team that drafted him and sent him packing after four seasons,” Cersosimo wrote. “Cleveland trotting QB Deshaun Watson back out there doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. When you consider he’ll face a Todd Bowles defense that blitzed at the third-highest rate (48.6 percent) in Week 1, and that Watson completed 2 of 5 passes for 20 yards and an INT with two sacks taken when blitzed in Week 1, it’s a recipe for another frustrating day for Browns fans. Bucs by multiple touchdowns.”
Tampa’s defense allowed 33 points in Week One - 26 by the defensive unit itself, with one additional score coming via a Bengals defensive touchdown - but several analysts offered measured confidence that the unit can rebound. One analyst described Cleveland’s Week One performance as listless, and Watson’s struggles against the blitz have drawn particular attention heading into the matchup with Bowles’ pressure-heavy scheme.
Most analysts covering the game expect the 8.5-point spread to hold in the final outcome, with the Buccaneers’ home-opener setting up as a pivotal early-season test for both franchises. Kickoff is scheduled Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.