Browns' fifth comeback win puts Deshaun Watson in rare quarterback company
Cleveland beat Tennessee 27-24 on October 25, extending its run of game-winning drives to each of its first five victories this season.
Deshaun Watson led another late Cleveland Browns drive on October 25 in Tennessee, setting up Andre Szmyt's field goal for a 27-24 win over the Titans. It was Cleveland's fifth victory this season, and Watson had a game-winning drive in each of those wins — a feat achieved by only two other quarterbacks since the 1970 NFL merger, according to the Associated Press.
Szmyt kicked the 32-yard winner with three seconds left, according to the Browns' game recap. Tennessee had scored touchdowns on its first two possessions to lead 14-0, making this Cleveland's second consecutive win after a double-digit deficit. The Browns had trailed Baltimore 10-0 before winning 13-10 on October 18.
How Watson's five winning drives compare
The AP identified Troy Aikman with Dallas in 1990 and Matthew Stafford with Detroit in 2016 as the other quarterbacks to produce a game-winning drive in each of their teams' first five victories of a season since the merger. It also reported that Cleveland and Stafford's 2016 Lions are the only teams in that period to get a winning score in the final four minutes of regulation or overtime in each of their first five wins.
The consecutive rallies have a separate place in Browns history: the AP said this is only the third time the franchise has won back-to-back games after falling behind by at least 10 points, and its first such pair since 2007. Cleveland moved to 5-2, its first start at that mark since 2020 and its second since the franchise returned in 1999.
The Tennessee comeback and Cleveland's slow starts
Watson completed 25 of 36 passes for 308 yards and scored a rushing touchdown against Tennessee, the Browns said. Rookie receiver KC Concepcion caught eight passes for 129 yards, both career highs, and added 23 yards on three carries. Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. caught six passes for 91 yards, including a 36-yard gain to the Tennessee 19 that helped set up Szmyt's kick, according to the AP.
Coach Todd Monken said the finishes should not obscure the starts. ‘The flip side is we haven't started very fast,’ he said, according to the AP. He praised Watson for giving the offense chances to win and said defensive stops had also created opportunities. The AP reported that Cleveland has allowed five touchdowns and a field goal on opponents' opening possessions through seven games, forcing just one punt.
Watson said after the Titans game that the close contests could help a young team with a new staff, although he wished Cleveland had won some games more comfortably, the AP reported. The Browns are scheduled to play at Pittsburgh on November 1, having already beaten the Steelers 27-24 in Week 4.
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Sources and context
- The new 'Kardiac Kids'? Browns' comebacks put Deshaun Watson in a 3-QB club since 1970 mergerAssociated Press (republished by Yahoo Sports)
- Browns 27, Titans 24 | Final Score, Stats & Game RecapCleveland Browns
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