Also oursCFB Schedulethis site, for college footballThe Gridiron Kingodds and projections — a paid site
NFL Schedule the NFL
NFLCFB
Wk 2 · 2026

Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Sun, Sep 20

Sun, Sep 20 · Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL · CBS FINAL

Weather

No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
AFC North · 3-2
23
at
1:00pET
TB -8.5 · total 41.5 DraftKings opened -5.5 · 3 toward TB
Ratings differential TB by 2.3
NFC South · 1-4
19

What is at stake

An interconference game, AFC against NFC. It counts in both overall records — which is what seeding is settled on first — and in neither team’s division or conference record.

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The Gridiron King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 1.7 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two rosters that have been through a draft and a free-agency window since.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Browns: -2.9#24
Efficiency margin
Buccaneers: -2.3#21
Browns: -3.4#27
Offense
Buccaneers: -2.0#25
Browns: +0.5#12
Defense
Buccaneers: -0.3#18
Browns: 16.4
Points / game
Buccaneers: 22.4
Browns: 22.3
Points allowed / game
Buccaneers: 24.2
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The Gridiron King’s 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats

The box-score store these rows are built from has not been produced for this league yet, so no preview carries points and yards for and against. The form, trend and series blocks below are built from this site’s own files and are not affected.

Browns form

L 12-17at NYJW 27-24vs PITW 21-18vs CARW 23-19at TBL 10-34at JAX
2026 season

Buccaneers form

W 24-16at DALL 14-17vs GBL 16-23vs MINL 19-23vs CLEL 27-33at CIN
2026 season

Browns this season

Straight up3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Against the spread3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Over / under3-2 · 60% (5 games)

Buccaneers this season

Straight up1-4 · 20% (5 games)
Against the spread1-3-1 · 25% (5 games)
Over / under2-3 · 40% (5 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 6

OpponentBrownsBuccaneers
Panthers
NFC
vs W 21-18 previewat Wk 7 · scheduled preview
Steelers
AFC
vs W 27-24 previewvs Wk 6 · scheduled preview
Ravens
AFC
vs Wk 6 · scheduled previewat Wk 14 · scheduled preview
Saints
NFC
at Wk 9 · scheduled previewvs Wk 15 · scheduled preview
Bengals
AFC
vs Wk 13 · scheduled previewat L 27-33 preview
Falcons
NFC
vs Wk 14 · scheduled previewvs Wk 8 · scheduled preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, the series is level at 3–3 · Browns has won the last 2
6 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 1.0 points toward Buccaneers
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20262026-09-20Browns 23 — 19 Buccaneersat TBBrowns
20222022-11-27Buccaneers 17 — 23 Brownsat CLEBrowns
20182018-10-21Browns 23 — 26 Buccaneersat TBBuccaneers
20142014-11-02Buccaneers 17 — 22 Brownsat CLEBrowns
20102010-09-12Browns 14 — 17 Buccaneersat TBBuccaneers
20062006-12-24Buccaneers 22 — 7 Brownsat CLEBuccaneers

Browns leaders 2026 regular season

PassingDeshaun Watson QB #480/115, 855 YDS, 6 TD, 2 INT
Shedeur Sanders QB #21/1, 0 YDS
RushingQuinshon Judkins RB #1059 CAR, 177 YDS, 1 TD
Deshaun Watson QB #431 CAR, 127 YDS
Jaleel McLaughlin RB #382 CAR, 31 YDS, 1 TD
ReceivingDenzel Boston WR #1213 REC, 284 YDS, 2 TD
Harold Fannin Jr. TE #4417 REC, 153 YDS, 3 TD
KC Concepcion WR #117 REC, 144 YDS
Quinshon Judkins RB #1015 REC, 96 YDS
Defense
TacklesCarson Schwesinger LB #4935
Ronnie Hickman S #3324
Quincy Williams LB #523
SacksMason Graham DT #944
Isaiah McGuire DE #572
Maliek Collins DT #961
InterceptionsDenzel Ward CB #211
Grant Delpit S #91
Ronnie Hickman S #331

Buccaneers leaders 2026 regular season

PassingBaker Mayfield QB #661/96, 615 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT
Jalon Daniels QB #1019/30, 148 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INT
RushingBucky Irving RB #756 CAR, 241 YDS, 1 TD
Baker Mayfield QB #611 CAR, 65 YDS, 1 TD
Jalon Daniels QB #109 CAR, 64 YDS
ReceivingCade Otton TE #8815 REC, 157 YDS
Emeka Egbuka WR #215 REC, 154 YDS, 1 TD
Chris Godwin Jr. WR #1416 REC, 142 YDS
Ted Hurst III WR #178 REC, 128 YDS, 1 TD
Defense
TacklesJosiah Trotter LB #4534
Antoine Winfield Jr. S #3124
Alex Anzalone LB #3422
SacksDavid Walker LB #512
Alex Anzalone LB #341
A'Shawn Robinson DT #911
InterceptionsA'Shawn Robinson DT #911
Josiah Trotter LB #451
Jacob Parrish CB #251
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since signed elsewhere, been traded or retired still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game.