TAMPA — Baker Mayfield will face the Cleveland Browns for the first time as a Buccaneer on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, with both teams desperate to avoid an 0-2 start after opening-week losses.
Mayfield, who has thrown 95 touchdown passes over the past three seasons — second in the NFL — completed 23 of 28 passes for 216 yards without an interception in Tampa Bay’s 33-27 loss at Cincinnati but was responsible for three of the team’s four lost fumbles. The quarterback, who signed a contract extension running through the 2029 season, was shipped from Cleveland to Carolina after the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson. Head Coach Todd Bowles said Mayfield had completely turned the page from the Cincinnati loss.
“I mean, we trust our quarterback 100%,” said running back Bucky Irving, who had 93 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in Cincinnati. “I mean, mistakes are going to happen this first week. Like we always say, 24-hour rule, move past it, there’s a lot of football left. I mean, we’re going to have his back always, and we’re going to ride with him 100%.”
Cleveland opened its first season under Head Coach Todd Monken with a 34-10 loss at Jacksonville. Watson, who played just 19 games over his first four seasons in Cleveland due to injuries and a suspension, won a training camp battle with second-year passer Shedeur Sanders for the starting job and threw for 205 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 16 of 22 passing against the Jaguars. He was sacked five times but ran for a team-high 38 yards on six carries.
“It’s a big challenge because they do a lot of different things as far as running and throwing the ball,” Bowles said. “When you have a running quarterback, that gives you that extra added dimension. You can rush exactly the proper way and still get outrun because of his speed and his athleticism. We’ve got to be very disciplined in our pass-rush lanes, and we’ve got to stop the run. They’ve got a bunch of weapons over there.”
The Browns defense no longer features NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in June, but still boasts defensive end Jared Verse, linebacker Carson Schwesinger and cornerback Denzel Ward. Cleveland ranked fourth in the NFL in yards allowed and 14th in points allowed last season despite giving up 360 yards and 23 first downs to Jacksonville in Week 1.
“They’re a good outfit,” said wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who led the Bucs with 63 receiving yards in Week 1. “A lot of talent, a lot of first round picks, a good cornerback room. I have a lot of respect for them. You can never take an opponent lightly.”
The Buccaneers have not started a season 0-2 since 2014, and all four NFC South teams lost in Week 1. Tampa Bay begins a three-game homestand Sunday, with kickoff at Raymond James Stadium — capacity 65,844 — set for 1:00 p.m. on CBS. Cleveland holds a 7-4 all-time series lead, including a 23-17 overtime win in their most recent meeting in 2022.
“That’s an unfortunate one to drop early on in the season, first week of the year,” Egbuka said. “I think we got the bad taste out of our mouths. We’re ready to capitalize on Sunday [and] this new opportunity that we’ve been given. First game in the home stadium. Looking forward to seeing the Krewe and all the fans out there. Hopefully we’ll put on a show.”