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

CLEVELAND — For the second straight week, 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 toward 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 a Browns uniform.

For a desperate and hungry Browns fanbase looking for the barest glimmer of hope, Watson’s performances over the past two weeks have convinced even his harshest critics to consider letting bygones be bygones — 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 games left and the inevitable ups and downs of a season ahead, but Sunday’s home opener felt like an important turning point.

For Watson, his relationship with Browns fans has been the defining undertone of his tenure in Cleveland. He took a conciliatory tone Wednesday when 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 cannot change his biggest liability: his size. 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, he 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 has 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 didn’t regain his starting job until Week 8 of that season, following a car crash in Charlotte that left Dalton with a thumb injury.

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

On Sunday, Young played well 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 that his ultimate challenge is proving he is a legitimate NFL starting 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 fanbase.

The Browns drew criticism for signing him to an unprecedented contract, prompting protests from women’s groups over sexual harassment lawsuits filed against him during his time with 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 backups Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel be adequate replacements? Or will the Browns simply draft another quarterback and start 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 has been taller than he is.

Watson and Young share a common reality: Every game is a referendum.

Each week, Browns first-year head coach Todd Monken faces the same question: Will Watson remain the Browns’ starting quarterback? All Watson can do to stop the question is play well. Regaining the public might be an impossible mission.

Asked about overcoming negative fan energy on Wednesday, 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 must answer: Can a once-gifted quarterback reclaim a career 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 isn’t all that remains of a once-promising future.