Almost no one thought the Cleveland Browns would be 1-1 at this point in the 2026 NFL season, especially after a dismal loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. But after an upset of Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, the Browns are heading toward their home opener with some legitimate momentum and optimism.
That is certainly a pleasant development for the fan base, which was preparing for the worst this coming Sunday. Now, those expectations have changed in a major way.
The two biggest surprises of the Browns’ season so far are that Deshaun Watson is still the starting quarterback in Week 3, and that the defense was able to protect a victory with Jared Verse nearly invisible.
From the moment Watson was named the starting quarterback ahead of Shedeur Sanders, it was universally seen as a two-game experiment that the veteran was destined to fail. Head coach Todd Monken virtually said as much, mentioning the fact that the first two games were on the road, leaving the door open for a potential change when the Browns returned home.
Instead, Watson completely flipped that narrative, with a good chance to be welcomed with some cheers rather than the anticipated cascade of boos that would have greeted him if he remained the starter after two losses. Whichever way the crowd responds on Sunday will be another surprise that will be hotly debated following the game.
Meanwhile, on defense, the hype that surrounded Verse’s arrival as the replacement for Myles Garrett has deservedly gone silent. In his first two games, the Pro Bowl pass rusher does not have a sack or a hurry and has generated just one pressure and one quarterback hit in 79 snaps played. Pro Football Focus has him ranked 85th out of 109 edge defenders.
Despite Verse having just one tackle against the Buccaneers, the Browns held their opponent to just one touchdown. Coming out of a two-hour weather delay, Cleveland was able to prevent a game-losing score in the final two minutes, even after Tampa Bay reached the 13-yard-line.
If the Browns can win games with Verse barely contributing, imagine what they can do when he finally gets on track.
NEXT: Todd Monken's Stock Just Went Up In The Locker Room
