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Cleveland Browns vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: PFM Team Comparison

PFM rates the Tampa Bay Buccaneers higher than the Cleveland Browns overall, with a clear advantage. The main reasons are the steadier quarterback room and the more dependable offense.

Current PFM Team Scores

CLE

Cleveland Browns

70.9PFM Team Score#32 NFL
Clear edgeTB

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

78.4PFM Team Score#20 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

Quarterback is where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have their cleanest advantage. With Baker Mayfield, the offense has a better floor when the first answer stops working. Cleveland's strongest counterargument is Defense. Defense is one of the clearest reasons the Cleveland Browns sit higher. The unit gives the offense more chances to recover from a bad drive.

Tampa Bay also brings the more dependable offense. Tampa Bay adds the less uncertain coaching staff. PFM still has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in front.

TEAM DNA COMPARISON

Cleveland vs. Tampa Bay 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.

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

Cleveland Browns’ Best Argument

The Cleveland Browns have the more dependable defense. It does not need the offense to answer every possession to keep control of a game. The defense advantage is a real point in Cleveland's favor, but it does not outweigh the rest of the higher-rated team’s advantages. The problem for Cleveland is that Tampa Bay counters with the steadier quarterback room and the more dependable offense.

COMPLETE COMPARISON

Where Each Team Has the Edge

PFM Team Score

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

Overall NFL Rank

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

QB Stability

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

Roster Strength

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

Coaching Direction

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

Recent Performance

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

Offense

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

Defense

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

Franchise Direction

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

Explosiveness

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

Conference Rank

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

Division Rank

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

Outlook

CLERebuilding or Major ConcernsTBIn the Playoff Mix
Stronger outlook: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
SCHEDULE CONTEXT

Which Team Has the Tougher Road?

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 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

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