We figured a successful season for the Cleveland Browns this year would be around five or six victories. However, despite a brutal opening game blowout loss to Jacksonville, the Browns amazingly sit at 3-1 after a 27-24 win over Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
Many experts said Todd Monken’s squad could compete with competent play from the quarterback, and that was on display in this one as Deshaun Watson was excellent in the first half and finished with 24 completions in 33 throws for 268 yards and a TD toss to TE Harold Fannin.
The yardage was Watson’s third highest in his Browns’ career, and the most since 2023 when he threw for 289 in a 27-3 win over Tennessee. It is also the most points Cleveland has scored in a game he played since the 33-31 victory over Baltimore in ’23, the game he injured his shoulder.
The first half was a dominant display of football. After a long scoring drive by the Steelers on their first possession, the defense clamped down had held Pittsburgh to a mere field goal at the end of the half, while the offense scored three touchdowns and the Browns led 21-10 at the intermission.
Quinshon Judkins ran harder, and accounted for 96 yards from scrimmage, but 43 of them came catching 6 passes. However, in the third quarter, the running game started to get it going and gained 34 yards on a drive, but Watson fumbled on a read option to give the Steelers the ball and killed a chance to put the game away.
Early in the 4th quarter Watson threw an interception on a tipped ball, and Pittsburgh turned in a seven play, 65-yard drive to get back in the game.
We don’t want to give the impression the defense let them back in the game because overall they performed very well despite the loss of Mason Graham in the first half.
In last season’s penultimate game, Carson Schwesinger was injured against the Steelers, but stayed in the game and finished it, the result being a Browns’ win. Some thought Schwesinger should have come out since it was a meaningless game for Cleveland, but we loved it. He was showing leadership and toughness. If he could go, he was going to stay out there for his teammates.
We thought about that with Mike Hall Thursday night. Hall left the game in the first half with an apparent ankle injury. He left on a cart. But he came back in the second half and recorded a sack.
Did what Schwesinger did last December play a part here? Maybe not, but it shows the attitude of this defense and perhaps this team. Character and leadership mean something.
We also have to talk about the kicking game. Of course, Andre Szmyt made the game winning 56-yard field goal that likely would have been good from 70 yards, but Corey Bojorquez averaged 62.8 yards per punt, including an 81 yarder in the 4th quarter.
Szmyt is the most reliable field goal kicker the Browns have had since Phil Dawson, really should be considered as a solid bet to make anything from 60 yards and in.
We thought the Browns needed an experienced coach to replace Kevin Stefanski and Monken looks like we might be correct. The players seem to respect and like him (both are important) and he has restored Watson’s confidence in himself.
The 3-1 start is shocking to say the least. The tanking talk around town can cease.
