Browns 23, Buccaneers 19: Watson wins it after the lightning delay
By Jordan Vance
Deshaun Watson beat Baker Mayfield in a matchup neither man could have predicted a few years ago. Cleveland drafted Mayfield first overall in 2018, traded him away, and later gave up a fortune for Watson — and on Sunday in Tampa, in their first meeting as opposing starters, Watson outplayed him in a 23–19 comeback. Lightning stopped the game for two hours and 12 minutes.
Cleveland trailed into the second half, then Watson took the game over. He finished 24-of-30 for 238 yards and two touchdowns, adding 22 yards on the ground, with no turnovers. The first score was a 55-yard strike to Denzel Boston, tying the game at 16 late in the third quarter. The go-ahead score came with 3:51 left, a 17-yard toss to Blake Whiteheart, and Cleveland never gave that lead back.
Tampa Bay's last chance was already in progress when the delay hit. The Buccaneers had the ball at Cleveland's 28 at the two-minute warning. After the wait, they worked inside the 20, a holding penalty backed them up, and Mayfield's fourth-and-11 pass to Emeka Egbuka from the 20 sailed out of reach in the end zone. Mayfield finished 21-of-34 for 182 yards with a touchdown and an interception — Myles Harden picked him off late in the first quarter for his first career interception.
Bucky Irving led Tampa Bay on the ground, 17 carries for 89 yards, but the Buccaneers never found a consistent rhythm through the air. Tez Johnson's 49-yard catch was as close as any receiver got to 50 yards. Quinshon Judkins stayed involved for Cleveland on early downs and out of the backfield, 12 carries for 21 yards and 5 catches for 27, even without finding the end zone.
Fantasy winners
Watson's clean, efficient afternoon is the real story — two touchdowns, no turnovers, and enough rushing juice to make him relevant again after a rough Week 1. Boston's 95-yard, one-score day on 7 targets is the kind of efficiency worth chasing while Watson keeps starting. He scored in the opener, too.
Fantasy questions
Mayfield's interception, on a day the Buccaneers had already been living on field goals, is a mild concern heading into a tougher slate. Irving's workload stayed heavy even in a loss, so there's no real dip in his role — just a game where the touchdowns went elsewhere.