Bucs Assistant Says Browns Mishandled Mayfield Trade
Bucs Assistant Says Browns Mishandled Mayfield Trade
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Key Points
1
Since joining Tampa Bay, Mayfield has posted a 97.5 passer rating with 12,453 passing yards, 95 touchdowns and 37 interceptions in 52 games, while Deshaun Watson’s passer rating with Cleveland is 81.3.
2
Mayfield is 29-30 as a Browns starter. In Cleveland’s 2020 playoff win at Pittsburgh, he threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-37 victory; the Browns then lost 22-17 to Kansas City in the divisional round.
3
This will be Mayfield’s first game against Cleveland as a Buccaneer. His only previous meeting with the Browns came in Week 1 of 2022, when he was with Carolina and lost 26-24; Jacoby Brissett started for Cleveland because Watson was serving an 11-game suspension.
4
When asked whether Cleveland believes it made a mistake, Zampese said, “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. We got the guy we wanted [in Tampa] and that’s what’s important.”
Buccaneers offensive assistant Ken Zampese says the Cleveland Browns made a major mistake trading Baker Mayfield after the 2021 season. Zampese, who coached Mayfield as a rookie in Cleveland, argues the quarterback helped revive the Browns' offense and that replacing him with Deshaun Watson was a wrong move. Tampa Bay Times reports that Mayfield will face his former team this week in a highly personal matchup.
Mayfield's Cleveland Success and the Trade Fallout
Mayfield led the Browns to the playoffs in 2020 and engineered their first playoff win in decades — a 48-37 victory over Pittsburgh where he threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns. But injuries and inconsistent play led Cleveland to move on. The team replaced him with Watson in 2022, pushing Mayfield to Carolina and then Tampa Bay in 2023.
Mayfield's Success in Tampa Contrasts Watson's Struggles
Since joining the Buccaneers, Mayfield has posted a 97.5 passer rating with 12,453 passing yards, 95 touchdowns and 37 interceptions across 52 games. By comparison, Deshaun Watson's passer rating with Cleveland stands at just 81.3 — a significant gap that underscores Zampese's point. Yahoo Sports notes that the numbers show a stark difference in performance between the two quarterbacks.
A Painful Return to the Stadium Where It All Began
This marks Mayfield's first game against Cleveland as a Buccaneer. His only prior meeting with the Browns came in Week 1 of 2022 when he was with Carolina — a 26-24 loss where Jacoby Brissett started for Cleveland because Watson was serving an 11-game suspension. Mayfield is 29-30 as a Browns starter overall.
Mayfield has emphasized positive memories from his time in Cleveland, including the playoff victory and lasting friendships with former teammates. When asked if the Browns believe they made a mistake, Zampese deflected: "I don't know. It doesn't matter. We got the guy we wanted [in Tampa] and that's what's important."
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