Watson's Second-Half Surge Lifts Browns Past Buccaneers 23-19

Cleveland picked up its first win of the season in Tampa behind 238 yards and two touchdowns from Deshaun Watson after a lengthy lightning delay.

Deshaun Watson completed 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover on Sunday, leading the Cleveland Browns to a 23-19 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. It was the franchise's first win of the year and came in a contest that ended roughly two hours late because of a lightning delay. The result followed a 34-10 defeat at Jacksonville the previous week.

Cleveland struggled badly before the break, producing 59 yards across 25 plays and reaching halftime down 9-6. Eight straight possessions ended without a touchdown. After the intermission, Watson connected on 17 of 21 attempts for 183 yards and both scoring strikes. Rookie Denzel Boston broke free for a 55-yard touchdown to draw level in the third quarter, and tight end Blake Whiteheart scored on a 17-yard third-down catch with under four minutes remaining to put Cleveland in front.

"Just making plays," Watson said when asked about the turnaround, adding that he told coordinator Kenny Monken at halftime to trust him with the ball. Head coach Todd Monken, who announced Watson as the offensive player of the game, noted the quarterback ran with confidence and showed clear progress between the first two weeks.

Speaking on 92.3 The Fan, analysts suggested the outing earned Watson roughly two additional starts, with the Sept. 27 home date against the Carolina Panthers viewed as the test he must pass. Monken stopped short of officially declaring a Week 3 starter on Monday. Carolina arrives off a 34-3 road win over Atlanta in which it created five takeaways and committed none, with linebacker Devin Lloyd returning one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.