When the game resumed, the Bucs (0-2) had second down and moved the chains after two Bucky Irving runs. But the Bucs weren’t able to punch it in as Mayfield’s last-ditch toss in the direction of Emeka Egbuka fell incomplete.
Cleveland grabbed the momentum and took a 23-19 lead with 3:51 to play by going with a no-huddle offense. The Browns converted their fourth third down of the drive when Watson got the ball out quickly to tight end Blake Whiteheart, who briefly lost his footing but recovered and ran untouched down the left sideline for the score.
Mayfield was 21-of-34 passing for 182 yards. Irving had 89 yards on 17 carries.
An offensive breakthrough looked imminent on Tampa Bay’s second drive of the fourth quarter. Mayfield’s longest pass play of the game, 49 yards to wide receiver Tez Johnson, came one play after a 14-yard toss to Chris Godwin. But the drive stalled inside the 15, leading to Chase McLaughlin’s fourth field goal of the game and a 19-16 edge for the Bucs.
Watson and the Browns tied the game at 16 only three plays later with a 55-yard touchdown pass to Denzel Boston. The rookie who caught Watson’s lone TD pass last week at Jacksonville made up for dropping a sure 6 in the end zone with Cleveland trailing 16-6 earlier in the third quarter.
Boston caught the ball slanting toward the middle of the field for first down and was almost spun down as three defensive backs for the Buccaneers converged. Boston spun free at the left hashmark and accelerated the final 37 yards for the score.
The Browns consistently pressured Mayfield, who limped out of the gate with two completions and an interception in the first quarter. He was sacked three times in the first half.
Tampa Bay drove to the Browns’ 11 with less than three minutes left in the first half but settled for another field goal. Mayfield hit Kenneth Gainwell for a 2-yard loss and threw consecutive incompletions before McLaughlin booted a 31-yard field goal for a 9-6 lead at half.
