The Emergence of the Browns’ Quarterback Play

It was Jameis Winston’s first start at quarterback since 2022, and he delivered against one of the hottest teams in football, the Baltimore Ravens. Early in the game, it looked like the typical Winston experience: he threw four straight completions of over 10 yards, then fired one directly at a Baltimore Ravens defender that was nearly intercepted. The Browns' quarterback play looked different. With Winston now under center, it makes sense that he is also leading the pregame team huddles.

Winston looked confident and in command of the offense. On the game-winning touchdown to Cedric Tillman, he delivered a rocket while taking a hit. Winston was releasing the ball early, and even when holding the ball in the pocket, he went through his progressions and made key throws. One of the big changes to Cleveland’s offense was head coach Kevin Stefanski deferring play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.

Winston had over 300 passing yards on Sunday, while Deshaun Watson has yet to record a game this season with over 200 passing yards. Cleveland had not scored 20 points in a game this season, but with Winston under center today, he guided the Browns' offense to 29 points. Knowing Winston’s history, this could either spark a hot streak or lead to a rollercoaster of inconsistency. Given Cleveland’s poor quarterback play this season, they’ll gladly take inconsistency over outright bad football.