Deshaun Watson led Cleveland into field goal range in the closing seconds on Thursday night, setting up a 56 yard kick with 10 seconds left to beat Pittsburgh 27 to 24.
What is the streak?
Three consecutive games with a game winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime. That makes him the second Browns quarterback since the 1970 merger to do it, after Brian Sipe. He had thrown a winning touchdown against Carolina four days earlier.
How did the game unfold?
Cleveland controlled the first half and then nearly lost it. Deshaun Watson threw for 181 yards before the break, his most in a first half as a Brown, and the offence scored on three straight drives in the second quarter. Cleveland led 21 to 10 at halftime, with 21 second quarter points its most in any quarter since a 2020 playoff game against the same opponent.
What went wrong after that?
Two turnovers from the quarterback. He was stripped on a run in the third quarter and Pittsburgh recovered, then threw an interception on a tipped pass early in the fourth. Pittsburgh scored after the second but failed a two point attempt, cutting the lead to 21 to 16. The game was tied at 24 on a short touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers and a successful two point sneak, set up when a Cleveland defender was flagged for being offside.
How did the winning drive go?
Quickly. Four straight completions moved Cleveland into range, and a sack for a 4 yard loss two plays before the kick did not take them out of it. A safety intercepted a last throw from Rodgers to end the game.
What does it mean in the standings?
Cleveland is 3 and 1 after a 24 point loss in Week 1, its best start since 2021, and holds sole possession of the AFC North for the first time since November 2014. It is a fifth straight home win over Pittsburgh.
How has he played overall?
Better than at any point since arriving in a March 2022 trade. Through four games he has completed 69.6 percent of his passes, his best mark in Cleveland, for 855 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions. He was booed by home fans during a preseason game seven weeks ago, which both he and his coach referenced afterward.
Is the turnover pattern a concern?
Worth watching. Two giveaways that allowed an 11 point lead to disappear is not a detail the result erases, and a quarterback repeatedly needing a late drive is also a quarterback whose team keeps needing one. The completion rate suggests the underlying play is sound. The ball security does not.
What comes next?
A division lead to defend. Cleveland has won three in a row for the first time since late in the 2023 season, and whether this is a turn or a run will be clearer across the next month.
