Baker Mayfield Blames ‘Sweaty Ball’ for Key Interception in Buccaneers’ Upset Loss to Browns

Baker Mayfield was unable to secure revenge against his former team as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

In the 23-19 loss, Mayfield completed 21 of his 34 passes for 182 yards, throwing one touchdown alongside one costly interception while being sacked three times.

After kicking field goals on their first two possessions, the Buccaneers saw their momentum shift when the Browns intercepted Mayfield late in the first quarter on a pass intended for Ted Hurst III.

“It’s no excuse, but I kind of had a little bit of a sweaty ball,” Mayfield admitted. “At that point, if I can’t put the ball in a perfect position on the sideline, because the throw is there, the guy’s got depth, but he’s not all the way to the sideline…just sucks.”

The Cleveland defense consistently disrupted Mayfield’s passing game, forcing the former first overall pick to miss several key targets. Tampa Bay was in the middle of a drive when a lengthy weather delay halted the fourth quarter, and the team struggled to find its rhythm when play resumed more than two hours later.

Although Mayfield had previously circled this matchup against his former team on the schedule back in June, the quarterback emphasized after the game that the defeat stung due to dropping the Buccaneers to 0-2, rather than because of who they lost to.

“It just stings more because we’re 0-2,” Mayfield said.

“Frustrated because it’s close,” he continued. “You can feel it. You can see it. We’re moving the ball at times, and then just shooting ourselves in the foot. So, that makes it more frustrating when you know you’re right there.”

Despite the early-season struggles, Mayfield remains a cornerstone of the franchise’s future, having signed a massive three-year, $165 million contract extension earlier this month that keeps him in Tampa Bay through the 2029 season.

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