Deshaun Watson’s big day for Cleveland Browns could be a turning point

CLEVELAND — For the second week in a row, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson played the conquering hero.

Last week in Tampa, Watson led the Browns past the Buccaneers on the road. But Sunday’s come-from-behind 21-18 win over the Carolina Panthers in Cleveland’s home opener was as transformative as a victory could be in just the third week of a 17-game schedule.

For Watson, whose very presence in Cleveland has come to represent Browns futility, Sunday’s performance — 16-of-30 for 144 passing yards, two touchdown passes including the game-winner, and several clutch runs — went a long way in securing a détente with fans and perhaps winning many of them over.

For anyone who has been following the Watson saga in Cleveland — especially his critics — the only numbers that have mattered were the five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract the Browns paid him five years ago, the 27 civil lawsuits that were filed against him for sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during his time with the Houston Texans, and the two surgeries that limited him to just a handful of games in Browns uniform.

For a desperate and hungry Browns fanbase looking for the barest glimmer of hope, Watson’s performances in the last two weeks have been enough to convince the severest of critics to consider letting bygone be bygone — pending results for the rest of the season.

Calling Sunday one of the most significant games of his nine-year NFL career, Watson said after the game that he became emotional when some fans began chanting his name as the clock ticked down. “There was one moment I got a little teary-eyed, just feeling that energy,” the 31-year-old said.

There are 14 more games to go and the inevitable ups and downs of a season, but Sunday’s home opener felt like an important turning point.  

For Watson, the consistent undertone of his tenure in Cleveland has been his relationship with Browns fans. He took a conciliatory tone earlier this week when he was asked about the strained relationship.

“I mean, yeah, the biggest thing is, I don’t never try to go at war with the fans,” he said. “So, the biggest thing is just, ready for support, ready to feel their energy, ready to get this big dub for the city of Cleveland and continue this great feeling that we have this week. So that’s my motto, is just keep pushing forward, finding ways to win on Sunday to take advantage of the opposing team and get a W.”

While the theme of Sunday’s game was how Browns fans would respond to Watson, it was a critical matchup between two quarterbacks waging a week-by-week fight for their respective careers.

Watson’s uphill climb has been well-documented, but Bryce Young, the Carolina quarterback, has had mountains to climb since entering the league.

While generally well-liked and lauded for character and leadership skills, Young’s liability — his size — is something he can’t do anything about. At 5-foot-10, Young has had to prove at every level that he possessed the skill, determination and instincts to play quarterback.

At the high school and collegiate level, Young successfully acquitted himself. As a senior at Mater Dei (Calif.) High School, Young was named the Los Angeles Times Player of the Year, California’s Gatorade Football Player of the Year, and the USA Today High School Offensive Player of the Year. As a junior at Alabama, Young won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first Crimson Tide quarterback to do so.

Young was selected by Carolina with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, but proving himself at the NFL level has been a challenge that he is not always met. In his second season in 2024, Young was benched in favor of veteran Andy Dalton after Carolina began the season with two consecutive losses. He only regained his starting job in Week 8 of that season, after Dalton was injured.

Last year, Young helped Carolina win the weak NFC South. This season, he has gotten off to the strongest start of his professional career. After two games, he was tied for the NFL lead in touchdown passes, and was second in passing yards and completions of 25 yards or more.

On Sunday, Young was good but was eventually outdueled by Watson.

Young completed 26 of 48 passes for 268 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but he was also sacked three times. He led Carolina to a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter but that only set up Watson’s heroics.

Young, 25, knows better than anyone else that his overarching challenge is proving he is a legitimate starting NFL quarterback.

Unlike Young, Watson was an NFL star early in his career. His problem is that age, injury and off-field legal issues derailed the trajectory of a brilliant career. And unlike Young, Watson is not universally embraced by his fan base.

The Browns were criticized for signing him to an unprecedented contract, and women’s groups protested the signing because of the sexual harassment suits that were filed against him when he played for the Houston Texans.

As recently as Cleveland’s last home preseason game, Watson was booed for poor performance, and while he bought himself some grace after leading Cleveland to a comeback victory over Tampa Bay in Week 2, the general sentiment of hope is that Watson will not be in Cleveland after this season. The Browns’ dilemma, however, is that if Watson does play well and they trade him, will either the other two quarterbacks on the roster, Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel, be an adequate replacement? Or will the Browns simply draft another quarterback and start all over?

Meanwhile, fans generally like Young and want him to succeed. But in a results-oriented business, the question hovering over him is whether he is a legitimate NFL quarterback who can take his team to a Super Bowl championship. Every Super Bowl-winning quarterback in history has been taller than him.

What Watson and Young have in common is that every game is a referendum.

Each week, Browns first-year head coach Todd Monken has been asked whether Watson will continue to be the Browns starter. All Watson can do to stop the questions is play well. Regaining the public may be a mission impossible.

Asked about overcoming negative fan energy earlier in the week, Watson said he wanted to focus on moving forward: “Like I mentioned before, we passed that, that’s back in the day. I don’t want to backtrack on anything, we’re moving forward. It’s great energy now, there’s great energy this week within the locker room, within the city. So, let’s continue to build on that. That’s in the past, so let’s push forward. We’re present in the moment now, we’re focusing on Carolina, coming home against a good opponent, in front of our great fans, and we wanted that energy so we can go in there and get a W.”

Neither quarterback has any margin for error, especially not Watson. Last week’s victory over Tampa Bay is already forgotten. What mattered to fans Sunday was the win against Carolina. The question Watson has to answer for himself: Can a once-gifted quarterback reclaim a career that has been shattered by suspension, injuries, and underperformance?

Young and Watson face two different challenges. Young is trying to prove that the future is still his. Watson is trying to prove that his past is not all that remains of a once promising future.

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