Baker Mayfield's Browns Struggles Continue as Cleveland Moves Him to 0-2 All-Time

Baker Mayfield can't beat his former squad.

On Sunday, Sept. 20, the Cleveland Browns traveled to Tampa, Fla., to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from Raymond James Stadium. Through four quarters of action and roughly two hours of weather delay, the Browns came out on top, 23-19.

And for the second time in his NFL career, Mayfield lost to the Browns.

BAKER MAYFIELD LOSES IN REVENGE GAME VS. BROWNS 😳👀

(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/JZokC4pAdK
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 20, 2026

He finished the game with 21 completions for 182 yards, one touchdown and one interception. However, Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who became Mayfield's replacement back in 2022, one-upped him with 24 completions for 238 yards and two touchdowns. He also did not turn the ball over.

Deshaun 24-30, 238 yards, 2 TDs, 121.9 rating
Baker 21-34, 182 yards, TD, INT, 73.4 rating#Browns #Buccaneers
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) September 20, 2026

Mayfield's near storybook moment came when the game went into a weather delay in the fourth quarter, with roughly two minutes remaining. After things resumed, Mayfield and the Buccaneers had a chance to finish the game with one last possession, but late attempts fell just short.

On fourth and 11, Mayfield launched a ball towards the back of the endzone, trying to hit second-year wideout Emeka Egbuka, but blanketed coverage made it a nearly impossible ball to catch.

Baker Mayfield's pass to Emeka Egbuka is incomplete on fourth down. The Browns will beat the Bucs on the road in Week 2.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) September 20, 2026

While a loss obviously doesn't fall on one player, not by any means, Mayfield routinely tried to push the ball down the field in awkward situations, failing to connect with his receivers.

Outside of a 49-yard completion to wideout Tez Johnson, he only completed one other pass that resulted in a gain over 20 yards.

He finished the game with an average of 5.4 yards per reception.

"We just have to communicate our landmarks and the things we are trying to draw up," Mayfield said when asked about his lack of connection deep. "It's timing, it's landmark throws and it's trusting those guys to be in the right spots."

Cleveland Browns, Baker Mayfiel — Sep 20, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) walks off the field as they lost to the Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With how the Mayfield in Cleveland era ended, not being able to get his revenge certainly has to be frustrating, especially considering the Browns' struggles to find success over the past few years. Somehow, someway, after losing by 24 points in Week 1, the Browns practically did a 180 and upset the Buccaneers.

The only other time Mayfield has had the opportunity to take on his former team, the franchise that drafted him No. 1 in the 2018 NFL Draft, came in 2022.

He completed 16 passes on 27 attempts, throwing for 235 yards, one touchdown and one interception for an 84.6 quarterback rating. However, the Carolina Panthers' struggling defense allowed the Browns to get in field goal range late, where then-rookie kicker Cade York smacked through a 58-yard field goal to win 26-24.

At the time, the Browns' quarterback was Jacoby Brissett, who was filling in for Watson. He wasn't able to compete due to off-the-field issues.

Mayfield and the Buccaneers are still in a good spot this season with a 1-1 record, but on the personal side, this one has to sting for the 31-year-old former Brown.

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