Watson puts 3-1 Browns atop North after leading third straight winning drive — SkimNews
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- Deshaun Watson led his third consecutive game-winning drive, joining Brian Sipe as the only Browns quarterback since the 1970 merger to pull off that feat, and set up Andre Szmyt's 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds left for a 27-24 Thursday night win over Pittsburgh.
- The Cleveland Browns improved to 3-1, taking sole possession of the AFC North for the first time since November 9, 2014, and extended their overall winning streak to eight games — the longest active streak in the NFL.
- Watson threw for 181 first-half yards, his most in any first half as a Brown, as the offense scored touchdowns on three straight second-quarter drives to build a 21-10 halftime lead; Cleveland's 21 second-quarter points were its most in any quarter since the 2020 wild-card round, also against the Steelers.
- Two second-half Watson turnovers — a strip by T.J. Watt and a tipped interception — fueled Pittsburgh's rally, with Aaron Rodgers tying the game at 24-24 on a 3-yard TD pass to Pat Freiermuth and a successful 2-point conversion.
- Grant Delpit sealed the victory by intercepting Rodgers' desperation heave, and Cleveland improved to 5-0 at home against the Steelers in their last five meetings.
- Through four games, Watson is completing 69.6% of his passes — his best single-season mark in Cleveland — for 855 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions, a sharp turnaround from a preseason stretch in which he was booed by home fans.
Why it matters: Watson went from preseason boos to engineering three straight game-winning drives, capping Thursday's with a 56-yard field goal setup that pushed Cleveland to 3-1 and sole possession of the AFC North for the first time since 2014, while extending an eight-game overall winning streak that is now the longest active in the NFL.
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