The Cleveland Browns have found the version of Deshaun Watson they needed to reach 3-1: not flawless, but poised enough to answer a fourth-quarter collapse with a game-winning drive. Watson completed 24 of 33 passes for 268 yards, a touchdown and an interception in Thursday’s 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, moving the offense 35 yards in seven plays to set up Andre Szmyt’s winning 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds left.
Locked On Browns host Spencer German called it Watson’s most complete game in Cleveland, an assessment rooted less in a clean stat line than in how the quarterback handled the decisive sequence. Watson also lost a fumble and threw an interception, but the Browns recovered from both mistakes and produced their third straight win.
German argued that head coach Todd Monken’s system has given Watson a cleaner fit than the offense he played in previously. Watson worked from the pocket, used his mobility and pushed the ball vertically, including throws that helped create the second-quarter surge. He threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Harold Fannin Jr. as Cleveland built a 21-10 halftime lead.
The Steelers erased that advantage and tied the game at 24 with 1:42 remaining, but that was enough time for Watson. His final possession put Szmyt in range, and the Browns kicker converted from 56 yards, the longest field goal of his career.
That sequence changes the immediate conversation around Cleveland’s offense. The defense still supplied pivotal plays, including a Mike Hall Jr. sack that forced Pittsburgh out of field goal range after Watson’s third-quarter fumble, but the offense no longer needed a near-perfect defensive performance to survive a tight game.
Cleveland next travels to face the New York Jets on Oct. 11. Watson does not need to re-create every throw from Thursday, but another composed late-game performance would further support German’s contention that the Browns’ early start is sustainable.
Browns News and Notes
– Andre Szmyt delivered the winning 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds left after also making a 44-yarder in the fourth quarter. He has not missed a kick this season, going 8 for 8 on field goals and 7 for 7 on extra points.
– Browns defensive tackle Mason Graham (knee) left in the first quarter and did not return. The defense still recorded key stops in his absence, but his status will be worth watching entering the extended break before the Jets game.
