The Cleveland Browns lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-19 in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium before the Week 2 game was suspended due to a lightning delay.
The sudden stoppage occurred at Raymond James Stadium exactly at the fourth-quarter two-minute warning. Cleveland currently holds a narrow 23-19 lead over Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers were driving deep in Browns territory with second-and-four at the 28-yard line.
NFL protocol mandates a thirty-minute waiting period following the last recorded lightning strike. Each new lightning strike within an eight-mile radius completely resets the official countdown clock. Consequently, stadium officials ordered both teams to clear the field and head into their locker rooms.
Stadium staffers also instructed thousands of exposed fans to leave the stands and move to covered concourses.
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Fans quickly posted clips showing just how bad the situation was.
The intense rainstorm at Raymond James Stadium has completely flooded the playing surface, leaving a critical end zone entirely underwater.
As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns entered their fourth-quarter weather delay, the torrential downpour overwhelmed the stadium’s drainage systems. High-angle broadcast views and viral social media clips reveal that the specific end zone the Browns must defend is totally submerged under a massive sheet of standing water.
The painted “BUCCANEERS” lettering and yard lines in that section are completely hidden beneath the severe, lake-like flooding. Consequently, if the dangerous lightning clears and the game officially resumes, players will be forced to battle through a literal marsh right at the goal line to score.
Deshaun Watson threw two touchdown passes to give the Browns their late four-point advantage. Baker Mayfield was actively attempting to mount a game-winning drive before the severe storm hit.
