Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson silenced doubters with a gutsy 23-19 upset victory over Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, September 20, 2026, navigating a grueling two-hour weather delay and throwing two touchdowns to secure head coach Todd Monken’s first career win.
Deshaun Watson arrived in Florida facing intense scrutiny after a brutal 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. With fans and analysts questioning whether his job as the starter was in jeopardy, the quarterback delivered a resilient performance on the road. According to reporting from Fox News, the comeback win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers effectively squashed immediate talk about a quarterback change.
Weather Delay and Second-Half Comeback at Raymond James Stadium
High winds, torrential downpours, and lightning hit Tampa at the worst possible moment on Sunday. With play frozen at second-and-4 from Cleveland’s 28-yard line near the two-minute warning, officials called a mandatory lightning delay that sent both teams into the locker rooms for over two hours. Coverage from Cleveland.com noted that Watson had to endure the two-hour and twelve-minute thunderstorm interruption while playing without a traditional ground game to lean on.
Watson led the team in rushing yards for the second week, gaining 22 yards on the ground while the Browns managed just 44 total rushing yards as a unit. Despite the lack of an established rushing attack, Watson completed 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards, tossing two touchdowns with zero interceptions for a 121.9 passer rating.
“Every week I’m getting more confident and more comfortable with myself. Like I told Monk and I told the team I feel good. I’m healthy. I trust the work that I put in these last two years and if you’ve got to put the ball in my hands, I’m ready for it. So whatever we’ve got to do to make the team win and keep drives moving, I’m ready for it.”
Sunday’s matchup marked the first head-to-head meeting between Watson and Baker Mayfield since the Browns traded for Watson and cast aside their 2018 number one overall pick in 2022. Mayfield, looking to rebound from a turnover-heavy loss to the Cincinnati Bengals the previous week, directed the Buccaneers’ offense in search of a revenge victory against his former team.
Mayfield finished the afternoon completing 21 of 34 passes for 182 yards, recording one touchdown and one interception for a 73.4 rating. When play resumed following the weather delay, Tampa Bay attempted to mount a late drive, but a costly holding penalty pushed Mayfield’s offense back to the 23-yard line. A final desperate heave into the end zone fell out of reach for Emeka Egbuka, sealing the win for Cleveland.
Todd Monken Secures His First Career Win as Browns Head Coach
The victory marked a milestone for Todd Monken, who notched his first career win as an NFL head coach after weathering local fan anger for sticking with Watson through the opening-week blowout against Jacksonville. Speaking with reporters after the game, Monken praised his quarterback’s resilience under difficult schematic conditions.
Photo: Cleveland
“He played his rear end off in the second half and he’s doing it really without us running the ball very well, which we certainly are going to do better there. That starts with me schematically and then calling it because that’s hard. That’s hard to win when you can’t control the line of scrimmage and you can’t comfortably turn around and hand the ball off.”
Browns Fans CALL FOR Shedeur Sanders as Mary Kay Cabot RIPS Deshaun Watson
Todd Monken, Cleveland Browns head coach
Monken dismissed lingering external queries regarding Watson’s job security heading into the next matchup. Asked directly if Watson would remain the starter for the upcoming home opener, Monken expressed immediate relief and elation over the locker room’s turnaround.
“Really? Really? I’m going to enjoy this win. And I thought he played his (expletive) off. I’m so happy for him. I’m just going to leave it there, right? I mean, good for him. Good for 22 months of working his (expletives) off to get to where he’s at. I’m going to leave it at that. I’m so happy for him.”
Critical Connections and Next Matchups for Cleveland and Tampa Bay
Watson’s performance relied heavily on connections with rookie targets, notably a 55-yard touchdown pass to Denzel Boston, who led all receivers with 95 yards on five catches, and a 17-yard game-winning scoring strike to Blake Whiteheart.
Photo: sports.yahoo.com
Rookie teammate Denzel Boston highlighted the work ethic that allowed Watson to overcome early-season criticism. He comes in every day and just puts his head down and works and, you know, whether that’s extra meetings or whether that’s us just talking after practice, getting extra reps, Boston said.
Moving to a 1-1 record on the young season, the Browns return north to host their home opener next week against the Carolina Panthers. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, remain at home to face the Minnesota Vikings.
Mary Kay Cabot on Deshaun Watson, Todd Monken, Jared Verse & the Cleveland Browns vs. Baker Mayfield
Daniel Richardson is the Editor-in-Chief of Archysport, where he leads the editorial team and oversees all published content across nine sport verticals. With over 15 years in sports journalism, Daniel has reported from the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games, NFL Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tennis tournaments. He previously served as Senior Sports Editor at Reuters and holds a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. Recognized by the Sports Journalists' Association for excellence in reporting, Daniel is a member of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS). His editorial philosophy centers on accuracy, depth, and fair coverage — ensuring every story published on Archysport meets the highest standards of sports journalism.
