The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a great shot at getting to 1-1 at home by hosting a struggling Cleveland Browns team, but multiple mistakes and sloppy play kept them from doing just that.

Let’s not waste any time and jump right into the losers and winners from the loss.

Losers

HC Todd Bowles

The Buccaneers look absolutely sloppy through two weeks of play and they have zero bite when it comes to playing good football when it matters most.

Turnovers, penalties, missed tackles, busted coverages – you name it. Whatever mistakes can be made, the Bucs have made them over the last two weeks. And they’ve shown zero ability to play complementary football, so far.

Couple that with a loss to a downtrodden Deshaun Watson and it’s easy to see why Bowles’ seat is hotter than ever in 2026.

LB Alex Anzalone

There needs to be a serious conversation about Alex Anzalone, which is a shame when considering we’re only in Week 2.

He was bad for the second-straight week and it was the same mistakes: blown coverages and missed tackles. He was 80% responsible for the Browns’ TD drive that tied the game at 16-16 on his own. Thanks to his missed tackle on Harold Fannin Jr. on the first play and then the awful missed tackle on Boston’s catch-and-run touchdown.

Per Sumer Sports, he allowed both targets in coverage to Fannin Jr. for 34 yards. I would also dock him for the Boston touchdown, but as mentioned earlier that’s been attributed to Smith.

While we don’t have official numbers on missed tackles, yet, I can promise there are at least 3-4 on the table.

Anzalone was supposed to help fill the void after Lavonte David’s retirement and he’s been nothing but a problem these first two weeks. Something has to change.

OC Zac Robinson

This offense simply looks disjointed and sloppy, right now. Yes, Baker Mayfield hasn’t played well and has been a big problem, but Robinson’s play-calling has been suspect over two weeks, as well as his game plan/scheme.

He’s yet to find consistent rhythm throughout two games and the drive where the Buccaneers went up 19-16 consisted of six-straight pass attempts and zero rushing attempts on a day where the rushing attack was clearly stronger than the passing attack.

That culminated with a very questionable pass on 3rd and 2 that was almost picked off in the end zone. The Buccaneers were on the Browns’ 13-yard line. Running the ball in that situation made way more sense and even a negative play would’ve led to the same result: a field goal attempt.

And then there was the final drive of the game. Two Bucky Irving runs had the Buccaneers in great shape, but Robinson decided to call a pass play on 2nd and 4 with two timeouts left from the Browns’ 19.

Mayfield had been under pressure and the passing game was inconsistent all day long and a run on 2nd and 4 would’ve been a fair call. However, Graham Barton got called for a hold and that ruined the Bucs’ chances of a comeback.

I get Robinson is still getting a feel for what his guys can do but man, it’s hard to find promise outside the running game (when Robinson sticks to it).

QB Baker Mayfield

There’s not much to be said here that we don’t already know. Mayfield has been sloppy, inaccurate, and has made more bad decisions than good over the first two weeks.

And while Ted Hurst dropped a nicely-placed ball in the end zone, Mayfield also missed the potential game-winning throw to Emeka Egbuka at the game.

The key with all this is he’s way healthier than he was last year when his play fell off. Injuries aren’t an excuse or a reason for his down play right now, leaving the struggles solely on his shoulders.

It’s more than fair to say he hasn’t lived up to his contract at this point. While there’s still plenty of season left, that’s still not what you want to be saying after two games.

Bucs pass rush

Another week, another disappointing performance from what is supposed to be one of the Buccaneers’ biggest strengths.

Vita Vea finished with zero pressures. Rueben Bain Jr. and Yaya Diaby combined for two total pressures, both going to Diaby.

The four-man pressure couldn’t home, again, and Todd Bowles’ blitz rate largely outmatched the pressure rate for the second week in a row.

Meaning, something is broken right now. It all starts with Vea and the top-2 EDGEs in Diaby and Bain Jr. These guys have been ghosts through the first two weeks and it’s killing the pass rush.

Winners

K Chase McLaughlin

When you have to start the winners list with a kicker, you know it was a frustrating game (unless you’re the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX).

McLaughlin was easily the most consistent aspect of the Buccaneers’ day, making all four of his field goal attempts, including a 59-yard bomb to kick off the scoring. He was also good in the kickoff department.

Of all the offseason contract talk, McLaughlin is the only player proving his worth so far this season.

DB Keionte Scott

Scott had an excellent day. He made several key tackles, only allowed two catches for eight yards on two targets, and seemed to be in the right spots for the majority of the time. He even made two special teams tackles, showcasing his all-around ability.

While you want Jacob Parrish back on the field ASAP, it’s opened the door for Scott to get valuable reps and he’s proving his worth. The more he grows the better and deeper this secondary gets, which is obviously a great development.

S Tykee Smith

Smith continues to improve every week and is becoming a staple on this Buccaneers defense. He finished the day with five total tackles and three tackles for loss. For some reason, Sumer Sports put Denzel Boston’s 55-yard touchdown on him, but I don’t think that’s accurate since Alex Anzalone clearly missed the tackle and blew the coverage.

RB Bucky Irving

Irving is easily the strength of the offense after two weeks and I’d hate to see what the unit looks like without him.

He looked like his ’24 self, once again, finishing the day with 90 total yards on 21 combined touches. He made guys miss in the open field, broke tackles through contact, and was just one of a few players on offense that provided a consistent spark.

CB Benjamin Morrison

Morrison didn’t have a perfect day by any means, but he still came out on the winning side of the coin after another strong performance.

He once again showed a lot of potential as a tackler, finishing with seven total tackles. He was solid in coverage, too, breaking up a touchdown pass to Boston and finishing the day allowing six receptions for 54 yards on nine targets.

Thanks to Morrison’s play, the Buccaneers secondary looks to be in good shape. Especially once Jacob Parrish returns. Considering it was a major question mark heading into the season, it’s a very encouraging development two weeks in.

Now Morrison and Co. just have to stay the course.