Cleveland Browns fanbase is starting to warm up to seeing Deshaun Watson start week in and week out. The Browns are 2-1 thanks to a hotly contested victory over the Carolina Panthers.
After two straight road games to start the season, the Browns kicked off their home series on Sunday, September 27. They hosted a Panthers team that scored 34 and allowed just 3 points in their previous fixture.
Browns also won their Week 2 game in Tampa Bay. Yet the Browns were marginal underdogs before kickoff. All signs pointed to a cagey and close affair. The score stood at 10-9 in favor of Panthers at the end of three quarters of football at Huntington Bank Field.
Both teams exchanged field goals early in the fourth quarter before Bryce Young gave the Panthers a five-point lead to defend for the remainder of the game.
With just two minutes remaining until the final whistle, Deshaun Watson connected with Harold Fannin Jr. for a 14-yard touchdown and converted the two-point try. The Browns held on for a famous 21-18 victory.
A Cleveland fanbase that had long been at odds with Watson was heard cheering his name.
Watson gave fans every reason to resent him. It began with women accusing him of making inappropriate advances at massage parlors. Lawsuits added more pressure on the 31-year-old. It affected his performance on the field. To make matters worse, he suffered multiple Achilles injuries, which forced him to miss more than 40 games.
Fans demanded that the owners either cut or trade Watson. But a critical mistake by the owners forced their hands in honoring their fans’ wishes. After acquiring Watson from Houston, the Browns signed him to a five-year, $230 million guaranteed contract. Over the years, analysts have called it the worst deal any franchise has made. They basically shot themselves in the foot.
That deal will end after the 2026 season. It’s Watson is starting over Shedeur Sanders, so the Browns could save some face. Watson hasn’t been efficient, but he has delivered two wins in three games, earning plaudits from the supporters. It proves how quickly fans are to champion a player they .
The Texans performed above expectations after drafting Watson, a former college champion. He earned 3 Pro Bowls from 2018 to 2020, enticing the Browns to trade multiple first-round draft picks to acquire the Clemson alum.
Watson had the pedigree to deliver victories, but he lost his gusto because of the allegations and injuries. It’s thanks to his contract that the Browns are still leaning on him for wins. And he has delivered, mostly in the final moments.
Watson has replaced Caleb Williams as the fourth-quarter savant. According to Browns writer Jackson McCurry, Watson has completed 20 of 22 passes for 253 passing yards, 3 TDs, zero interceptions, and 48 rushing yards on 8 attempts. The Browns are 2-1.
Up next, the Browns host rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Watson has never beaten the Steelers in three previous attempts. He has thrown for 729 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions.