If it wasn’t for the first quarter, the Cleveland Browns might be one of the best teams in the NFL right now.
They had to recover from yet another painfully slow start. They, of course, needed another game-winning drive (or two) in the fourth quarter.
But the record doesn’t lie. The Browns are 5-2.
Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. rumbled for 36 yards to set up a 31-yard field goal from Andre Szmyt as time expired, and the Browns beat the Titans, 27-24, in Nashville for their fifth win in six games.
Deshaun Watson bounced back from an early interception with one of his most efficient games of the season, calling his own number on a read-option play for the go-ahead score with 4:34 remaining. Cam Ward engineered an 11-play, 63-yard drive to tie the game at 24 with 58 seconds left on the clock.
Watson then did what he's done all season — calmly leading the Browns 55 yards down the field in four plays to put Szmyt in range for his second straight game-winning kick and third of the season.
Cleveland overcame two first-half turnovers and an early 14-0 deficit. After an extremely leaky start by the defense — the Browns were burned for 61 rushing yards and a touchdown by Tony Pollard on the game’s opening drive — Mike Rutenberg’s group responded with a key goal-line stand and forced two critical takeaways.
Speaking of takeaways, here are our instant reactions to another imperfect performance that ended with Cleveland’s fifth win in six games.
Cleveland's latest chaotic comeback has the Browns sitting at an improbable 5-2
1. Running back Quinshon Judkins returned to the lineup following a one-game absence, and it was the best version Browns fans have seen all season. Judkins finally ripped off an explosive run — a 30-yarder in the first quarter that set up his own touchdown. Judkins had two rushing scores in the first half and finished with 96 yards and a 5.6 yards-per-carry average.
2. KC Concepcion posted the first 100-yard receiving effort of his career — and his day could've been so much bigger. The rookie dropped a 48-yard dot by Watson that would have been a walk-in touchdown early in the third quarter. It was still an excellent day overall, as Concepcion touched the football 10 times in the first half and finished the game with 152 scrimmage yards.
3. Watson threw an interception on Cleveland’s opening possession that led to a Titans touchdown and a 14-0 deficit. But he settled in after that, getting the ball out quickly and completing 14 of his next 19 pass attempts. He passed for over 200 yards in the first half and finished with 327 total yards in the game.
4. The Browns entered this game as healthy as they’ve been all season, but they lost multiple starters in this one. Right tackle Tytus Howard exited the game early in the third quarter to be evaluated for a concussion. Nickel corner Myles Harden (hamstring) and defensive tackle Mason Graham (knee), who played his first game since suffering knee and ankle injuries in Week 4 against the Steelers, both exited the game with injuries but were able to return in the fourth quarter.
5. Jared Verse’s sack drought extended to seven games, but he was in on one of the game’s most critical plays midway through the second quarter. The Titans kept their offense on the field on fourth-and-goal from the 1 yard line, threatening to take a 21-7 lead. But Verse’s surge off the edge slowed Pollard enough for Cleveland to stuff the rush attempt for a turnover on downs.
6. Dylan Sampson saw his first offensive snaps of the season, and his explosiveness was a factor. He had two big plays in the second half, a 22-yard catch and a 19-yard rush.
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