It took over two hours to play the last two minutes of Sunday’s game between the Browns and Buccaneers, and even that bizarre, drawn-out finish couldn’t change the outcome for Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay. Cleveland held on for a tight 23-19 victory, handing Todd Monken his first win as an NFL head coach in a truly wild scene.
Fourth Quarter Chaos and the Bucs’ Crushing Miss
This game was a nail-biter right down to the wire, but Mother Nature decided to add her own twist. With the Bucs down by four and on the move, a lightning delay hit at the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. It felt like an eternity, extending those final moments by more than two hours. When play finally resumed, Tampa Bay still had a chance, pushing all the way down to Cleveland’s 13-yard line. But then came the gut punch: a holding penalty that absolutely derailed their possession. On fourth-and-11, Baker Mayfield had an open Emeka Egbuka in the end zone and just couldn’t connect, effectively ending the game and crushing any hopes for a Bucs comeback.
Mayfield’s Rough Night Versus Watson’s Surprising Rebound
While Monken celebrated his first head coaching victory, the quarterback play told two very different stories. Baker Mayfield had another poor game for the Bucs, fresh off three fumbles in their season opener. He wrapped up the day completing 21-of-34 passes for 182 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, plus 29 rushing yards. Just not enough to get it done. On the flip side, Deshaun Watson, despite an ugly performance last week and Sunday morning reports that practically “soft-launched his benching,” played arguably his best game with the Browns. He was sharp, going 24-of-30 for 238 yards and two touchdowns, adding 22 rushing yards on seven carries. Talk about a rebound when the pressure was on.
This win is huge for Monken getting his first W as head coach, and Watson showing up big time, but for the Bucs, those last two minutes are going to sting for a while. That kind of fourth-down miss by Mayfield after a holding call just screams missed opportunity, and it leaves a lot of questions about where Tampa Bay goes from here.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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