Deshaun Watson said he didn’t know what kind of reception he would get Dec. 17 in his first home game as quarterback of the Cleveland Browns.
He got his answer, loud and clear, when he nimbly scrambled 17 yards to the Ravens’ 28 on third-and-7 with 13:14 left in the fourth quarter: Winning cures everything and covers all kinds of warts.
The Browns knocked the Ravens out of first place in the North, 13-3, at FirstEnergy Stadium and as fans did everything they could to stay warm, they also warmed up to Watson and got a glimpse of how this team was expected to play in 2022.
Deshaun Watson enjoyed soaking in the atmosphere of cheering fans after the #Browns beat the #Ravens, 13-3, Saturday at FirstEnergy Stadium. Watson was 18 of 28 for 161 yards and a touchdown. pic.twitter.com/xKcdmM7Mie
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) December 18, 2022
Watson wasn’t spectacular. He completed 18 of 28 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown, but he did not turn the ball over — a sharp contrast to the way the Browns’ defense played against the Ravens.
Denzel Ward intercepted a pass from Ravens’ backup quarterback Tyler Huntley at the Cleveland 9 on Baltimore’s first possession of the third quarter. Watson engineered a 12-play, 91-yard drive that produced the only touchdown of the game when he flipped a pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones. Jones caught the ball in front of the defender around the Baltimore 4 and dashed into the end zone for a 13-3 Cleveland lead.
Myles Garrett doesn’t want to talk about “what could have been” had the #Browns defense played earlier in the season like it did Saturday to beat the #Ravens, 13-3. pic.twitter.com/XJL57WUAmx
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) December 18, 2022
Watson was able to take a knee in victory formation three times inside the Ravens’ 20 after the two-minute warning. After taking a knee the second time, he stepped away and looked up toward the sky and shouted. Joy about winning for his teammates, joy about delivering a victory for the Browns and their fans, relief about delivering for the coaches who believe in him with the shadow of his 11-game suspension for sexual misconduct accusations from 25 massage therapists still present — all that and more was released in that scream.
“It was me just soaking in the moment and releasing all the energy and all the happiness I had in myself,” Watson said. “I wanted to yell that and scream that out. I feel everyone needs that every once in a while. I came back to my brothers and congratulated every single one of those guys. It was good to celebrate with them in the locker room.”
The Browns are 6-8, still mathematically alive in the playoff chase, but barely. According to projects.fivethirtyeight.com they have just a one percent chance of making the postseason despite beating the Ravens.
Kevin Stefanski sums up the #Browns beating the #Ravens, 13-3. pic.twitter.com/ac8pDcmDv4
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) December 18, 2022
The Browns beat the Texans, a team that struggles to score, 27-14, on Dec. 4. The Ravens, 9-5, won two straight before losing to the Browns, but they have scored only two touchdowns in their last three games. They rushed for 198 yards on 28 carries against the Browns, but didn’t find the end zone.
Beating the Ravens opens up serious questions. Where was this defense all along? Not only did Ward get his interception and Johnson his fumble recovery; the Ravens were 0-for-3 on fourth down. The Browns set the tone early when Johnson and Deion Jones stopped fullback Patrick Picard on fourth-and-1from the Browns 7 on Baltimore’s first drive.
If the Browns played the same way when they were legitimate playoff contenders — if they hadn’t allowed the Jets to score two touchdowns in less than two minutes to turn a 30-17 lead into a 31-30 loss, if they hadn’t given up 13 points to the Falcons in the fourth quarter in a 23-20 loss — they would be right in the thick of the playoff race. There are other examples, such as getting scorched by the Dolphins, 39-17, and 38-15 by the Patriots. It was the only time the Patriots scored 30 or more points this season.
“You can’t think about ifs, ands or buts,” said Myles Garrett, who had 1.5 sacks on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter. “At the end of the day, we are where we are and we still have a chance. Control what we can control.”
The Browns finish the season at home against the Saints and on the road against the Commanders and Steelers. Not one of those teams is an offensive juggernaut.
A strong finish by the defense will make a decision on defensive coordinator Joe Woods’ fate difficult for head coach Kevin Stefanski.
![By TOM WITHERS The Browns began trying to fill an unexpected vacancy on Thursday by interviewing Seattle offensive line coach Andy Dickerson to be their offensive coordinator. Dickerson previously worked in Cleveland on coach Eric Mangini’s staff in 2009-10. On Wednesday, coordinator Alex Van Pelt parted ways with the Browns after four seasons working under coach Kevin Stefanski. Van Pelt’s departure was surprising since he appeared to enjoy his time in Cleveland and was instrumental in helping the Browns make the playoffs while coping with numerous injuries on offense. It’s still not known why Van Pelt left. General manager Andrew Berry is […]](https://www.morningjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AP23133215495908.jpg?w=499 "By TOM WITHERS The Browns began trying to fill an unexpected vacancy on Thursday by interviewing Seattle offensive line coach Andy Dickerson to be their offensive coordinator. Dickerson previously worked in Cleveland on coach Eric Mangini’s staff in 2009-10. On Wednesday, coordinator Alex Van Pelt parted ways with the Browns after four seasons working under coach Kevin Stefanski. Van Pelt’s departure was surprising since he appeared to enjoy his time in Cleveland and was instrumental in helping the Browns make the playoffs while coping with numerous injuries on offense. It’s still not known why Van Pelt left. General manager Andrew Berry is […]")
![Alex Van Pelt, the team’s offensive coordinator since 2020 when Kevin Stefanski was hired as head coach, will not be back with the Browns next season. Running backs coach Stump Mitchell was fired and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney will not be retained. The news was first reported by Josina Anderson of CBS Sports. A league source confirmed the decisions on Mitchell and McCartney. The source said Van Pelt is under contract to the Browns for 2024 and that a decision hasn’t been finalized, but Van Pelt confirmed the news himself in a text message to Jake Trotter of ESPN. […]](https://www.morningjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/TNH-L-Browns-0118-01-1.jpg?w=525 "Alex Van Pelt, the team’s offensive coordinator since 2020 when Kevin Stefanski was hired as head coach, will not be back with the Browns next season. Running backs coach Stump Mitchell was fired and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney will not be retained. The news was first reported by Josina Anderson of CBS Sports. A league source confirmed the decisions on Mitchell and McCartney. The source said Van Pelt is under contract to the Browns for 2024 and that a decision hasn’t been finalized, but Van Pelt confirmed the news himself in a text message to Jake Trotter of ESPN. […]")