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Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Cleveland Browns: PFM Team Comparison

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold a clear overall advantage over the Cleveland Browns in the current PFM ratings. Tampa Bay separates itself through the steadier quarterback room and the more dependable offense.

Current PFM Team Scores

Clear edgeTB

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

78.4PFM Team Score#20 NFL
CLE

Cleveland Browns

70.9PFM Team Score#32 NFL
WEEK 2 MATCHUP Sunday, Sep. 20 1:00 PM ET
View on NFL Schedule
PFM CALL Locks September 20th at 1:00 PM EDT

Who wins Cleveland Browns vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

Week 2 matchup
AwayCLE0-1
HomeTB0-1

Pick the winner.

Choose your Call
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PFM JUDGMENT

Why PFM Rates the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Higher

Baker Mayfield gives the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the steadier quarterback room. That lets the offense stay on schedule without asking the rest of the team to cover constant uncertainty. Cleveland's strongest counterargument is Defense. The Cleveland Browns have the more dependable defense. It does not need the offense to answer every possession to keep control of a game.

Tampa Bay also brings the more dependable offense. Tampa Bay adds the less uncertain coaching staff. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still deserves the higher PFM rating.

TEAM DNA COMPARISON

Tampa Bay vs. Cleveland Across the Core Pillars

The farther a team reaches, the stronger the rating. Each category also calls out which team has the edge and the exact gap. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team.

TBTampa Bay Buccaneers
CLECleveland Browns
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Cleveland Browns Team DNA comparisonPFM category scores on a 0 to 100 scale. QB Stability: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.9, Cleveland Browns 66.9, edge TB +13.0; Offense: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 81.2, Cleveland Browns 70.7, edge TB +10.5; Defense: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.9, Cleveland Browns 80.9, edge CLE +2.0; Coaching Direction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 76.6, Cleveland Browns 72.8, edge TB +3.8; Roster Depth: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.1, Cleveland Browns 76.8, edge TB +2.3. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team at a time.
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THE COUNTERARGUMENT

Cleveland Browns’ Best Argument

The Cleveland Browns own the stronger defense. More dependable stops give the offense better field position and keep one bad drive from controlling the day. That is why the overall gap is smaller than the score first suggests. Tampa Bay still answers with the steadier quarterback room and the more dependable offense, which keeps the overall judgment in place.

COMPLETE COMPARISON

Where Each Team Has the Edge

PFM Team Score

TB78.4
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.4
CLE70.9
Cleveland Browns 70.9
Clear Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Overall NFL Rank

TB#20
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #20
CLE#32
Cleveland Browns #32
Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranks higher

QB Stability

TB79.9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.9
CLE66.9
Cleveland Browns 66.9
Major Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Roster Strength

TB79.1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.1
CLE76.8
Cleveland Browns 76.8
Clear Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Coaching Direction

TB76.6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 76.6
CLE72.8
Cleveland Browns 72.8
Clear Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Recent Performance

TB75.7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75.7
CLE66.0
Cleveland Browns 66.0
Clear Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Offense

TB81.2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 81.2
CLE70.7
Cleveland Browns 70.7
Major Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Defense

TB78.9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.9
CLE80.9
Cleveland Browns 80.9
Clear Cleveland Browns edge

Franchise Direction

TB75.1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75.1
CLE69.4
Cleveland Browns 69.4
Clear Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Explosiveness

TB79.9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.9
CLE65.7
Cleveland Browns 65.7
Major Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Conference Rank

TB#10
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #10
CLE#16
Cleveland Browns #16
Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranks higher

Division Rank

TB#1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #1
CLE#4
Cleveland Browns #4
Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranks higher

Outlook

TBIn the Playoff MixCLERebuilding or Major Concerns
Stronger outlook: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
SCHEDULE CONTEXT

Which Team Has the Tougher Road?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Remaining schedule rank: #28

Toughest stretch: Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions

Strongest opponents: Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears

Next five difficulty: 77.7

View Tampa Bay Buccaneers Road Ahead

Cleveland Browns

Remaining schedule rank: #31

Toughest stretch: Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals

Strongest opponents: Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals

Next five difficulty: 77.1

View Cleveland Browns Road Ahead

Tampa Bay has the tougher Road Ahead at No. 28. The strongest opponents include Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears. Cleveland gains one meaningful schedule advantage, while Tampa Bay still owns the stronger football advantages elsewhere.

View the complete all-32 Road Ahead

Ratings and Schedule Freshness

PFM ratings updated September 15, 2026. Schedule data updated September 14, 2026.

How to Read This Comparison

PFM Team Score determines the overall order. The Team DNA comparison puts five core pillars on the same 0–100 scale, while the full rows show every current category.

PFM compares overall team strength rather than predicting one matchup. Road Ahead adds schedule context without changing PFM Team Score.

See the complete PFM NFL Team Rankings and methodology.

PFM ratings updated
How PFM grades NFL teams