National Football League

Freeman returns, leads Bucs past Browns 17-14

Published Sep. 12, 2010 5:43 p.m. ET

foxsports

Josh Freeman returned from a broken thumb on his throwing hand and had two touchdown passes to carry the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 17-14 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Freeman, the second-year quarterback who missed the past three weeks with the injury, threw a 3-yard TD pass to Mike Williams late in the first half and then found Micheal Spurlock in the end zone for a 33-yard score that put Tampa Bay ahead 17-14 with just under seven minutes to go.

Jake Delhomme guided Cleveland to a 14-3 lead before things unraveled for the Browns, who have not begun a season with a win since 2004 and fell to 1-11 in openers since the club returned as an expansion franchise in 1999.

Seemingly in control and hoping to build onto the lead before halftime, Delhomme threw an ill-advised, sidearm pass that Ronde Barber intercepted and returned 65 yards to the Browns 3-yard line. Freeman threw his first TD pass on the next play.