Quarter-by-Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLE | 3 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 23 |
| TB | 6 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 19 |
Cleveland spent most of the afternoon chasing Tampa Bay, then Deshaun Watson flipped the game when it mattered most. Watson completed 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, including the go-ahead 17-yard strike to Blake Whiteheart with 3:51 left in the fourth quarter. Earlier, Denzel Boston gave the Browns their biggest spark with a 55-yard touchdown that erased a 16-9 deficit, finishing with five catches for 95 yards. Cleveland got almost nothing from its rushing attack — just 44 yards total — but Watson stayed efficient enough to keep the Browns alive until the offense finally broke through late.
Tampa Bay had chances to put the game away and never did. Bucky Irving ran for 89 yards, Chris Godwin added 46 receiving yards, and Chase McLaughlin drilled four field goals, including one from 59 yards. But Baker Mayfield finished with 182 passing yards, one touchdown and an interception, while the Buccaneers repeatedly settled for three instead of seven. Cleveland’s defense tightened up when it had to, with Myles Harden grabbing the game’s only interception and the Browns recording three sacks. Tampa Bay outgained Cleveland 313-267, but Watson owned the biggest drive of the afternoon — and that was enough to send the Browns home with the win.
Postgame Statistical Breakdown
Team Stats
| Stat | Cleveland Browns | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 23 | 19 |
| Total Offensive Yards | 267 | 313 |
| Passing Yards | 223 | 176 |
| Rushing Yards | 44 | 137 |
| Total Plays | 55 | 62 |
| Yards Per Play | 4.9 | 5.0 |
| First Downs | 15 | 17 |
| Third Downs | 5-13 | 7-16 |
| Third-Down % | 38.5% | 43.8% |
| Fourth Downs | 0-1 | 0-1 |
| Passing TDs | 2 | 1 |
| Rushing TDs | 0 | 0 |
| Total Offensive TDs | 2 | 1 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 0 | 1 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 0 |
| Sacks Allowed | 2 | 3 |
| Penalties | 6 | 6 |
| Penalty Yards | 50 | 62 |
| Time of Possession | 29:22 | 30:38 |
Passing
Cleveland Browns
- Deshaun Watson — 24/30, 80.0%, 238 YDS, 2 TD, 0 INT, 7.9 YPA, 2 SACK, 121.9 RTG, 70.4 QBR
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Baker Mayfield — 21/34, 61.8%, 182 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT, 5.4 YPA, 3 SACK, 73.4 RTG, 51.3 QBR
Rushing
Cleveland Browns
- Deshaun Watson — 7 CAR, 22 YDS, 3.1 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 8
- Quinshon Judkins — 12 CAR, 21 YDS, 1.8 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Bucky Irving — 17 CAR, 89 YDS, 5.2 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 38
- Baker Mayfield — 4 CAR, 29 YDS, 7.3 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 14
Receiving
Cleveland Browns
- Denzel Boston — 5 REC, 7 TGT, 95 YDS, 19.0 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 55
- Harold Fannin Jr. — 5 REC, 6 TGT, 54 YDS, 10.8 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 21
- KC Concepcion — 6 REC, 6 TGT, 28 YDS, 4.7 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 9
- Quinshon Judkins — 5 REC, 5 TGT, 27 YDS, 5.4 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 13
- Blake Whiteheart — 1 REC, 2 TGT, 17 YDS, 17.0 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tez Johnson — 1 REC, 4 TGT, 49 YDS, 49.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 49
- Chris Godwin Jr. — 3 REC, 3 TGT, 46 YDS, 15.3 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 24
- Cade Otton — 5 REC, 6 TGT, 38 YDS, 7.6 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 13
- Ted Hurst III — 2 REC, 7 TGT, 27 YDS, 13.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 21
- Emeka Egbuka — 3 REC, 5 TGT, 16 YDS, 5.3 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 7
Scoring Plays
| Qtr | Clock | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 11:10 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Chase McLaughlin 59-yard field goal | CLE 0, TB 3 |
| Q1 | 7:12 | Cleveland Browns | Andre Szmyt 50-yard field goal | CLE 3, TB 3 |
| Q1 | 4:02 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Chase McLaughlin 45-yard field goal | CLE 3, TB 6 |
| Q2 | 13:59 | Cleveland Browns | Andre Szmyt 34-yard field goal | CLE 6, TB 6 |
| Q2 | 0:12 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Chase McLaughlin 31-yard field goal | CLE 6, TB 9 |
| Q3 | 9:33 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Emeka Egbuka 5-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick) | CLE 6, TB 16 |
| Q3 | 3:45 | Cleveland Browns | Andre Szmyt 34-yard field goal | CLE 9, TB 16 |
| Q3 | 1:23 | Cleveland Browns | Denzel Boston 55-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Andre Szmyt kick) | CLE 16, TB 16 |
| Q4 | 9:58 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Chase McLaughlin 31-yard field goal | CLE 16, TB 19 |
| Q4 | 3:51 | Cleveland Browns | Blake Whiteheart 17-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Andre Szmyt kick) | CLE 23, TB 19 |
Defense
Cleveland Browns
- Myles Harden — 5 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 INT, 25 INT YDS, 2 PD
- Mason Graham — 3 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 2 QBH
- Carson Schwesinger — 10 TOT, 5 SOLO, 1 TFL
- Grant Delpit — 5 TOT, 5 SOLO, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Ronnie Hickman — 3 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Quincy Williams — 6 TOT, 4 SOLO, 1 TFL
- Tyson Campbell — 5 TOT, 4 SOLO, 1 TFL
- Isaiah McGuire — 4 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 TFL
- Denzel Ward — 5 TOT, 4 SOLO
- Jared Verse — 1 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 QBH
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- A’Shawn Robinson — 5 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Josiah Trotter — 13 TOT, 6 SOLO
- Tykee Smith — 5 TOT, 4 SOLO, 3 TFL
- David Walker — 1 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Benjamin Morrison — 7 TOT, 5 SOLO, 1 PD
- Yaya Diaby — 3 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 QBH, 1 PD
- Alex Anzalone — 8 TOT, 2 SOLO
- Antoine Winfield Jr. — 4 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 QBH
- Keionte Scott — 5 TOT, 5 SOLO
- Zyon McCollum — 3 TOT, 3 SOLO
Kick Returns
Cleveland Browns
- Malachi Corley — 4 KR, 93 YDS, 23.3 AVG, LONG 28, 0 TD
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Kenny Gainwell — 3 KR, 78 YDS, 26.0 AVG, LONG 30, 0 TD
Punt Returns
Cleveland Browns
Not available.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tez Johnson — 2 PR, 14 YDS, 7.0 AVG, LONG 9, 0 TD
