In a tale of two halves, the Cleveland Browns led the game for exactly zero seconds but still managed to edge the Baltimore Ravens 33-31 on a walk-off field goal. Led by quarterback Deshaun Watson’s gutsy performance, the Browns moved to within a half-game of first place in the division. They also picked up just their third win in Baltimore against Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and their seventh overall against him.
Deshaun Watson is 5-1 as a Starter This Season
Deshaun Watson has been under fire in Cleveland of late. Cleveland gave up three first-round picks for the embattled quarterback. His suspension cost him most of the 2022 season. Though he’s shown flashes, Cleveland fans have been wondering when they’d see a return on their investment.
It certainly wasn’t in the first half Sunday against the Ravens. Deshaun Watson’s very first pass of the game was picked off and returned for a touchdown. That’s the second time that’s happened to him this season. Watson followed that up with eight straight incompletions and, missing his top three offensive tackles, was harassed all day by the Baltimore defensive line. He left the field late in the first half with an ankle injury.
But Deshaun Watson never stopped believing, even when the Ravens opened up a 24-9 lead to start the third quarter. Deshaun Watson answered by leading the Cleveland Browns on a long, steady 17-play, 75-yard drive. After Kareem Hunt’s touchdown, Watson took the two-point conversion in himself, closing it to a one-score game.
Deshaun Watson was a perfect 14/14 in the second half. He’s now 5-1 as a starter for the Cleveland Browns this season (though to be fair, he barely played in the win against Indianapolis). Playing through injury and with a banged-up offensive line, he used his trademark scrambling ability to scratch and claw his way back into the game and, ultimately, to win.
First Career Interception
Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II is known as one of the better cover covers in the NFL. However, that designation has always come with an asterisk: He had yet to intercept a pass in nearly three NFL seasons. That streak ended Sunday. With 8:16 left in the game, the Ravens appeared to be driving to put their lead in the bank. But Newsome II stepped up for a banged-up secondary, pulling down a batted pass and returning it for a touchdown. Though Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins missed the extra point, that brought Cleveland within a point and changed the momentum of the game.
Baffling Playcall With Deshaun Watson Unavailable
With Deshaun Watson leaving the field in the waning seconds of the first half due to an ankle injury, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski made a baffling play call. With just seconds on the clock, the Cleveland Browns had a chance to kick a 60-yard field goal. Though hardly automatic, Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins is a perfect 7/7 on field goals of 50 yards or longer on the season. Yet after a series of timeouts, Stefanki sent out backup quarterback PJ Walker to throw a hail mary. While 60-yard field goals are not a high-probability play, hail marys are far worse. Predictably, Walker was nearly picked off and didn’t get the ball into the endzone.
Rivalry Week
Ten weeks into the NFL season, it’s clear that the AFC North is the best division in football. All four teams have winning records. This week will be big for the division, as the Baltimore Ravens take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday. Then, Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns will renew their rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Main Photo: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
