The Cleveland Browns take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday. After how poorly the team played in Week 1, they are not being given any consideration to win in Week 2. Sure, there’s a chance that Cleveland “wakes up” and turns in a drastically different performance. But no one is banking on that.
Here is what the national media is saying about the Week 2 game between the Browns and Buccaneers:
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NFL.com (Various)
Why Brooke picked the Buccaneers: The doctor ordered a nice prescription for the Buccaneers after last week’s turnover-fest in the form of the Browns, who were abysmal in the opener. 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. 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.
CBS Sports (Pete Prisco) – Buccaneers 30, Browns 10
The Browns are back in Florida after their horrible showing in Week 1 in Jacksonville. The Bucs lost to the Bengals on the road but the defense played well. Look for Baker Mayfield to bounce back after a turnover-plagued game. Bucs big.
CBS Sports (John Breech) – Buccaneers 34, Browns 16
After four years of waiting, we’re finally getting what might go down as the greatest revenge game in NFL history: Baker Mayfield vs. the Browns.
In the movie “Gladiator,” Maximus’ sole purpose in life is to get revenge on Emperor Commodus and I feel like that about sums up Mayfield’s life at this point. I think I can confidently say that there’s no one in the history of sports who wants to beat his old team more than Baker Mayfield wants to beat the Browns this week. … (click link for a lot more).
Sporting News (Vinnie Iyer) – Buccaneers 27, Browns 10
The Buccaneers didn’t protect the ball well in Cincinnati with Baker Mayfield having a rough outing. Mayfield has the right opponent, his former team with a bad defense, to rip to shreds in Tampa’s home opener. Baker will burn the Browns plenty, who don’t have much of anything to be competitive in another Florida game.
Sporting News (Bill Bender) – Buccaneers 31, Browns 21
The Browns had an abysmal Week 1 with Deshaun Watson at quarterback, and the Buccaneers had four turnovers in a Week 1 loss to the Bengals. Mayfield – who was selected No. 1 by Cleveland in the 2018 NFL Draft – lost his only other start against the Browns in 2022. Mayfield evens that here at home. Cleveland is 2-7 ATS as a road underdog since last season.
Below are our Week 2 NFL staff picks:
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