Deshaun Watson answered mounting questions about Cleveland’s quarterback job with a comeback performance Sunday, throwing two touchdowns as the Browns rallied past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-19. The road win ended Watson’s six-game losing streak as a starter and moved Cleveland away from an 0-2 opening ahead of next week’s home game against the Carolina Panthers.
Watson leads second-half turnaround
Cleveland managed only 59 net yards before halftime and went to the locker room down 9-6. The deficit grew to 16-6 in the second half, but Watson took control after the break.
- Watson finished 24 of 30 for 238 yards, two touchdown passes and a 121.9 passer rating.
- He added a team-high 22 rushing yards.
- In the final two quarters, he completed 17 of 21 throws for 183 yards and both scores.
- His 238 yards ranked third among his single-game totals with Cleveland, while the rating was also his third best as a Brown.
The key moment came late in the third quarter, when Watson found rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston for a 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown that tied the game at 16. It was Watson’s longest touchdown pass since Nov. 8, 2020.
Watson then delivered the winning drive, converting four third downs before hitting tight end Blake Whiteheart for a 17-yard touchdown with 3:51 left. The score put Cleveland in front for good.
“I’m gaining confidence and becoming more comfortable every week,” Watson said. “I feel healthy, I believe in the work I have done over the last two years, and I’m ready if the ball is in my hands. Whatever helps this team win, I’m prepared to do it.”
Lightning delay precedes Browns defensive stand
The game was halted at the two-minute warning because of lightning, producing a delay of 2 hours and 12 minutes. When play resumed, Cleveland’s defense stopped Tampa Bay in the red zone to preserve the four-point victory.
The Browns had not reached 20 points in a Watson start since Week 10 of the 2023 season. That eight-start stretch ended in Tampa, as did Watson’s drought without a starting victory dating to Week 2 of the 2024 campaign.
Sunday was Watson’s first regular-season start since the Achilles injury that cost him the entire 2025 season. His difficult Week 1 showing in a lopsided loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars had intensified scrutiny around his role, with Cleveland using the opening two games as an evaluation period for its quarterback situation.
Monken praises quarterback after job-security questions
Coach Todd Monken did not formally name Watson the Week 3 starter after the game, but his comments strongly supported the veteran’s effort and recovery.
“I’m going to enjoy this win,” Monken said. “He played his tail off, and I’m really happy for him. He has worked for 22 months to get himself back to this point. Good for him.”
Watson said he urged Monken at halftime to put the offense in his hands and allow him to operate within the coach’s plan.
“He can design the calls and trust his approach, and then we have to execute,” Watson said of the second-half adjustment.
Old Browns history and fresh motivation
The matchup marked the first time Watson and Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield had faced each other since Cleveland’s major quarterback overhaul in 2022. The Browns sent three first-round picks and signed Watson to a $230 million contract in March of that year, then traded Mayfield to Carolina four months later. Cleveland had selected Mayfield first overall in the 2018 draft.
The Browns also carried extra motivation into Sunday after former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said on the “Sunday Night Football” pregame program that “the Browns are gonna Browns” following Cleveland’s Week 1 loss.
- Monken said the locker room took the remark personally, responding bluntly that the team rejected the label.
- Watson said it was not a major discussion point among the players, but added that Monken’s reaction reflected the group’s feeling.
Cleveland now returns home for its Week 3 opener against the Panthers, with Watson’s Tampa Bay response likely to shape the next decision at quarterback.
