Every quarterback carries a bit of extra motivation when facing the team that gave up on him, and Sunday gave Baker Mayfield a chance for revenge against Cleveland. Instead, his old team walked out of Raymond James Stadium with the win, leaving Mayfield to answer questions about a loss with his former quarterback’s replacement standing on the other sideline.
Mayfield did not shy away from calling out his own offense following the defeat.
“I think we’re close to turning it around, but we’re shooting ourselves in the foot. I believe in this group, but we have to be self-critical,” Mayfield said.
#Bucs QB Baker Mayfield believes the offense is close to turning it around, but they’re shooting themselves in the foot. He believes in this group, but they have to be self-critical. pic.twitter.com/1wKxlgv2cN
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) September 20, 2026
There was no shortage of storylines heading into this matchup given Mayfield’s history with the Browns, and Sunday added a strange twist to that history. He was outdueled by the very quarterback who replaced him in Cleveland, watching Watson throw for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns while Mayfield managed just 182 yards and a turnover of his own in the loss. For a player who has never shied away from discussing his Cleveland exit publicly, falling to Watson specifically likely stung more than a typical defeat.
The Buccaneers now sit at 0-2 to open the season, a difficult start for a team that entered the year with legitimate expectations built around Mayfield.
For Cleveland, beating Mayfield adds a layer of satisfaction to an already meaningful win, closing out a storyline that dominated headlines throughout the week. For Tampa Bay, Mayfield’s honesty now sets the tone for how his team responds heading into next week, with his own words putting the pressure on his teammates to clean up the mistakes he says are holding this offense back.
NEXT: Video Shows Deshaun Watson Celebrating After Sunday's Win
