Browns vs. Buccaneers NFL parlay: It's Baker Mayfield's payback game, but Tampa Bay QB already has last laugh

Baker Mayfield is set to take on the Cleveland Browns for merely the second time as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host their home opener at Raymond James Stadium. Cleveland originally drafted the Oklahoma product with the first overall selection in 2018 following an 0-16 campaign.

Mayfield notched seven wins in his debut season, later guiding the franchise to an 11-win season and a playoff triumph over Pittsburgh in 2020. However, after enduring a major left shoulder issue during the 2021 slate, his play dipped, prompting Cleveland to acquire Deshaun Watson and deal Mayfield to Carolina in July 2022.

Even so, Mayfield maintains post-1993 franchise benchmarks for a quarterback with 29 victories, 14,125 yards through the air, and 92 touchdowns, while standing as Cleveland's lone quarterback to secure a postseason victory this century.

Now an assistant with the Buccaneers, Ken Zampese—who mentored Cleveland's passers back in 2018—lamented how the Browns handled the signal-caller, remarking that the organization spoiled things after Mayfield helped revive the team following a 1-31 stretch. Ahead of the Week 2 clash, Tampa Bay enters as an 8.5-point favorite while commanding 83 percent of betting slips and 94 percent of the financial handle at DraftKings.

Forecasters expect an 88-degree afternoon featuring an easterly breeze between 5 and 10 mph alongside a 60 percent likelihood of thunderstorms.

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