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Deshaun Watson's second-half turnaround turns around Browns' fortunes against Ravens
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- Deshaun Watson's second-half turnaround turns around Browns' fortunes against Ravens
BALTIMORE — Deshaun Watson limped toward the Browns locker room well before the first half of Sunday's game in Baltimore was over. He had, yet again, more closely resembled a quarterback over the hill than one who should rank over almost any other starter in the NFL.
Watson came out of the locker room with seconds to spare before the second half got started. The quarterback who emerged, for the first time, strongly resembled the $230 million player the Browns believed they were acquiring from the Houston Texans two springs ago.
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The Watson of the second half made plays all over the field, from completing all 14 of his second-half passes to rushing for 18 yards on three carries to just taking care of the football. Those were the kind of winning plays the Browns needed from him to help lead them to a 33-31 come-from-behind win over the Ravens.
Dustin Hopkins ' provided the winning points with a 40-yard field goal as time expired to give the Browns (6-3) their only lead of the day. It was the play of Watson, though, that propelled the Browns to victory.
"It was a big win on the road against a very, very great team, one of the top teams in the league, one of the best defenses in the league in their place," Watson said afterward. "I think it was overall a great opportunity, not just for me, but the whole offense, but this team, too. Slow start in the first half, self-inflicted mistake — give the Ravens credit, they capitalized on it.
"But the second half we didn't back down, and we came out on fire and we put, offensively, put a big drive on starting with the O-line running behind them and then getting the ball to the receivers and let them catch and run."
Watson limped to the locker room at the end of the first half both figuratively and literally. He injured his left ankle when he was sacked by Ravens outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney with around 1:17 remaining in the first quarter.
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The injury was severe enough the Browns sent him to the locker room before the half was over, instead opting for a desperation heave by backup P.J. Watson to send Cleveland to the break down 17-9.
However, despite leaving the stadium in a walking boot, Watson indicated no serious concerns about missing next Sunday's home AFC North showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers .
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Watson said. "I mean, right now I'm not feeling well. I'll be fine. I'll be ready to go whatever time it is, Monday, 1 or Sunday — sorry, if it's 1 or whenever — I'll be ready to go and ready for that opportunity for us."
All Watson had done to the point he departed the game was be an anchor on the Browns' chances. That started on the second play of the game when he dropped to throw, but instead found a blitzing Kyle Hamilton , who knocked the ball in the air, came down with it and returned it 18 yards for a 7-0 Ravens lead.
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It wasn't the first-play pick six by the Steelers' Alex Highsmith that was the harbinger of doom in Week 2 in Pittsburgh. It was, though, a fair summation of Watson's first half.
"I mean, I was looking at AVP (offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt) like, 'What the f***? Again? Again, really? Again?,'" Watson said. "But I told him 14 (Hamilton) made a good play, (he's) 6-4, trying to throw over him. … I mean, I guess it happens. It shouldn't happen. I don't want it to happen. … We pressed a little bit trying to get everything back, try to get some go balls, but we came in the second half, regroup and we put a good second half together.
Watson was 6-of-20 passing in the first half for 79 yards, the pick six and a 22.7 passer rating. While he ran five times for 19 yards, it was often to avoid pressure, as he was also sacked twice.
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The second-half version of Watson may have been the first time in 12 starts with the Browns he really looked like the Pro Bowl version of himself the team thought they were acquiring in March 2022 from the Houston Texans. That started on the first of three drives the Browns offense actually had the football in the second half, a 17-play, 75-yard march that took 10:09 off the clock.
However, when it ended with Kareem Hunt running it in from 3 yards out, there was one goal for Browns coach Kevin Stefanski when it came to the 2-point conversion.
Put the ball in his quarterback's hands and let him cook.
"The kid again makes plays when they're not there," Stefanski said, "(He) makes unbelievable throws and leads his football team. There was really never a doubt in his mind about how this game was going to turn out. I say that throughout the week and throughout the game itself. He's a leader of this football team for a reason."
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson converts a two-point conversion against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half on an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Watson was 7-of-7 passing for 46 yards passing on that drive. That includes spreading the ball around not just to his two favorite targets — receiver Amari Cooper and tight end David Njoku — but also to receiver Elijah Moore and tight ends Harrison Bryant and Jordan Akins .
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That was the story of Sunday's game. It wasn't just Cooper and Njoku who were Watson's targets. He spread the wealth to a variety of receivers, showing more comfort with them as he's been able to get back into the routine of daily practice after missing more than a month's worth of time while he recovered from a rotator cuff strain in his right shoulder.
"It's one football," Moore said after a five-catch, 44-yard, one-touchdown performance in Baltimore. "You got to have the mindset just to keep going. It's one football, one quarterback. The (offensive) line's doing they job. It's a lot of things got to go right for receivers to really get a lot of opportunities and to get in the end zone. It's hard enough to score touchdowns for anyone.
"So it's definitely a huge best, and I'm grateful that I had a part in that this week."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Deshaun Watson turns it around in second half to lead Browns by Ravens
