Cleveland Browns fans had been waiting years for a night like this, even though there were plenty of reasons that it looked like it would never come. That was true as recently as five days ago.
Yet, there they were, watching Deshaun Watson build a big first-half lead and then rally the Browns to a 27-24 victory over the hated Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football. Cleveland is now all alone in first place in the AFC North, at least for the time being.
With that in mind, analyst Ken Carman said what every fan thought after the big win: “It’s a great day to be a Browns fan.”
“It’s a great day today. It’s a great day to be a Browns fan. It’s a great day to wake up in the city. It’s a great day to be excited for the Cleveland Browns who are 3-1 and, again, at the top of the AFC North. Again, at the top of the AFC North. At the top of the AFC North. After going to Jacksonville and taking an a**-whooping of a**-whoopings, like when Foghorn Leghorn pulls up the tail of the dog and whoops it’s a** right outside of the dog house. Three weeks later, we’re pulling up the dog, and we’re whooping it’s a** outside the Dawg Pound,” Carman said.
“It’s a great day to be a Browns fan. It’s a great day to wake up in the city.”@KenCarman reacts to the energy around Cleveland after the Browns’ win over Pittsburgh and their return to the top of the AFC North.#Browns pic.twitter.com/cz0DAntQLo
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 2, 2026
After a 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the season opener, it looked like the Browns were not going to win a game this season. Now, after three straight victories, true believers don’t see them ever losing again.
Of course, that won’t happen, but the Browns have certainly taken their fans on an exciting ride over the past three games. First, Cleveland rallied to defeat former quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, 23-19.
Then, facing the real likelihood of severe fan backlash toward quarterback Deshaun Watson, he won over the crowd by leading the Browns to a 21-18 victory against the Carolina Panthers. Building off that momentum on a short week, Cleveland took a big lead, gave it away, but was able to recover for a 27-24 win against Pittsburgh.
The Browns are 3-1 for the first time since 2001, but even more unlikely is the fact that they have gotten there with Watson as the quarterback. After being sidelined for almost two years by injury, the 31-year-old has already fashioned one of the most unlikely comeback stories in recent NFL history, and it has as much to do with the fan reaction as it does with his level of play.
As the perfect example of how quickly things can change in the NFL, the Browns must guard against their fortunes changing back to the dire predictions that were made for them, but for now, fans should enjoy celebrating what they have accomplished so far.
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