Tampa Bay is looking to bounce back in Week 2 against a Cleveland team that was dominated a week ago.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into their Week 2 contest against the Cleveland Browns with their backs already against the wall.
After falling 33-27 on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, the Bucs will be returning home hoping to avoid the dreaded 0-2 start.
Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is thankful for being able to come back home after a frustrating, sloppy loss to kick off the new season. Egbuka wants to "put on a show" for the fans at Raymond James Stadium.
It's only Week 2, but Tampa's season may already be at a crossroads. Another loss, and it will be very hard for anyone to have confidence that the Bucs will get back to the postseason this year.
However, a victory, especially a dominant victory, will help people forget about the team's poor showing against the Bengals.
Thankfully, the Bucs are 8.5-point favorites against a Browns team that looked like one of the worst in the NFL last week. Cleveland fell 34-10 to the Jacksonville Jaguars and was dominated in every facet of the game.
For a team looking to get into the win column for the first time this season, the Bucs couldn't ask for a better opponent. Not only is Tampa the much better team, but it will also have plenty of extra motivation coming from some key players.
Baker Mayfield's Revenge
Nobody is going into this game with a bigger chip on his shoulder than quarterback Baker Mayfield. He may be taking the high road whenever asked about playing against his former team, but everyone knows Mayfield has had this game circled since the schedule came out.
Mayfield's ugly divorce from the Browns, the team that drafted him first overall in 2018, is well documented. While he has played against Cleveland while with the Carolina Panthers, this is Mayfield's first contest against the Browns with Deshaun Watson at quarterback.
Not that Cleveland doesn't already know, but Mayfield will be looking to prove just what a mistake the Browns made by throwing him out like garbage in favor of Watson.
Mayfield will try to embarrass Cleveland on Sunday, though he must keep his emotions in check. He insists that won't be a problem. If that is the case, this may be Mayfield's biggest game of the season.
Bain Bounce Back
First-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. will also be fired up a little extra for this contest. Bain was barely noticeable on the field in his debut last week. After months of hype and anticipation for his first game, the rookie only finished with a single tackle all afternoon. He was almost invisible and failed to make any impact. It was not the debut most expected after Bain looked like an immediate star for months.
That one quiet game was all it took for some to trash Bain and practically guarantee he would be a bust.
Bain is looking to get off the schneid against a Browns team that gave up five sacks a week ago.
Final Thoughts And Prediction
The Bucs couldn't have asked for better circumstances to rebound after a bad loss in Week 1.
The Browns are terrible. The Bucs will be at home. Their quarterback and star rookie are both coming into the game with a lot to prove.
Last week I predicted a 30-27 Bucs' loss. Not far from the actual 33-27 final. No need to overthink this one. Bucs put on a show for the home crowd.
Prediction: Bucs 38, Browns 13
