Deshaun Watson answered questions about Cleveland’s quarterback future by engineering a 23-19 road victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, rallying the Browns from a 10-point second-half deficit and delivering his strongest performance since returning from an Achilles injury.
Watson completed 24 of 30 throws for 238 yards, two touchdowns and a 121.9 passer rating as Cleveland avoided an 0-2 start. He also led the Browns with 22 rushing yards.
The win was Watson’s first as Cleveland’s starter since Week 2 of the 2024 season. He had entered Sunday with six consecutive losses in starts, the NFL’s longest active skid for a quarterback, after missing the entire 2025 campaign because of the Achilles injury.
His status had drawn scrutiny after the Browns’ lopsided Week 1 loss to Jacksonville, with Watson and head coach Todd Monken facing repeated questions about whether a change could be coming. No final decision had been made for Week 3 entering Sunday, with the opening two games viewed as a period to assess the position.
Watson’s play in Tampa changed the immediate conversation. Cleveland managed only 59 net yards before halftime and went into the break behind 9-6, but Watson was sharp after intermission. He went 17-for-21 for 183 yards and both touchdown passes over the final two quarters.
“Each week, I feel more confident and more comfortable,” Watson said. “I feel healthy, and I believe in the work I have put in over the last two years. If the ball has to be in my hands, I’m ready.”
Rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston provided the first breakthrough with a 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown late in the third quarter, tying the game at 16. It was Watson’s longest touchdown pass since Nov. 8, 2020.
Watson then directed the deciding drive, converting four third downs before finding tight end Blake Whiteheart for a 17-yard touchdown with 3:51 left. The score gave Cleveland its first lead of the day.
The game was stopped at the two-minute warning for lightning, producing a delay of two hours and 12 minutes. Once play resumed, Cleveland’s defense made a red-zone stand to close out the win.
Watson’s 238 yards ranked as his third-highest total in a Browns uniform, while his passer rating was also his third best with the club. Cleveland had not scored 20 or more points in one of his starts since Week 10 of the 2023 season, a drought that had stretched across eight Watson starts.
At halftime, Watson said he urged Monken to let him run the offense more aggressively in the second half. “Trust me with the football and let me operate,” Watson said. “He can put the plays together, and we have to execute them.”
Monken declined to make a formal Week 3 quarterback announcement after the game, but praised Watson’s response.
“I’m going to enjoy this victory,” Monken said. “He played his tail off, and I’m happy for him. He spent 22 months working to get back to this point.”
Sunday also marked the first matchup between Watson and Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield since Cleveland acquired Watson in March 2022, sending three first-round picks and giving him a $230 million contract. The Browns dealt Mayfield, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2018 draft, to Carolina in July 2022.
Cleveland also carried added motivation from former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s criticism following the Week 1 defeat. Monken said the players took the remark personally, while Watson said the coach’s response reflected the entire locker room.
Week ahead
The Browns will play their home opener next Sunday against the Carolina Panthers in Week 3. Watson’s showing in Tampa gives Cleveland a major result to weigh after the first two games of its quarterback evaluation.
