Home openers rarely go exactly according to plan. The emotions run high, the crowd is loud, and teams often spend the first few series trying to settle into a rhythm. That was the case in Cleveland on Sunday, where the first half was far from pretty. Still, the Browns head into the locker room holding a lead over one of the highest-scoring offenses in the NFL.
Mary Kay Cabot pointed out how much harder Cleveland made things on itself.
“#Browns committed 10 penalties in the first half for 74 yards and still lead #Panthers 10-3 at the half,” Cabot wrote.
#Browns committed 10 penalties in the first half for 74 yards and still lead #Panthers 10-3 at the half.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 27, 2026
Both offenses were held scoreless in the 1st quarter. Andre Szmyt broke the tie with a 48-yard field goal with 5:43 left in the 2nd, and Deshaun Watson later found Harold Fannin Jr. for a 2-yard touchdown with 1:37 remaining. Ryan Fitzgerald answered with a 35-yard field goal for Carolina with 27 seconds left in the half.
The defense has been the story. The Panthers entered averaging 33.5 points per game and have managed just 112 total yards. They converted 1 of 6 3rd downs, came up empty on both 4th-down attempts and settled for a field goal on their only trip inside the red zone.
Mike Rutenberg’s group also brought Bryce Young down twice, a welcome sight after the pass rush struggled to finish plays in the first 2 weeks. Young is 9 of 17 for 117 yards, and Chuba Hubbard has been held to 18 yards on 10 carries.
The running game finally showed up as well. Cleveland has 86 rushing yards, and Quinshon Judkins has 45 on 11 carries, nearly matching the 54 yards he totaled across the first 2 games combined.
Raheim Sanders added a spark with a 17-yard run and leads the team with 3 catches for 24 yards. Watson has also chipped in 25 yards on the ground.
The passing game has been less efficient. Watson is 8 of 16 for 60 yards and the touchdown, though he has not been sacked. Fannin has 3 catches for 23 yards, while KC Concepcion has 1 grab on 5 targets.
The penalties are the biggest concern. Ten flags in a single half have stalled drives and handed Carolina free yardage, and that kind of sloppiness usually catches up with a team eventually.
Controlling the clock has helped offset those mistakes. The Browns have held the ball for 17:37 compared to 12:23 for Carolina, turning this into the kind of ugly, low-scoring game that favors Cleveland.
The formula is working. If the Browns can clean up the penalties and turn a few more drives into touchdowns in the 2nd half, a 2-1 start is within reach.
NEXT: New Sight Outside Huntington Bank Field Has Fans Talking
