Clutch performances are what separate good quarterbacks from trusted ones. Teams can live with uneven stretches early in games, as long as the quarterback delivers when everything is on the line. That trait tends to define how a player is remembered at the end of a season. For the 4th time this year, Deshaun Watson came through for the Browns when it mattered most.
Pro Football Focus shared the league leaders in game-winning drives after Sunday’s action.
“Most game-winning drives this season: Deshaun Watson 4, Bo Nix 3, Josh Allen 2, Jared Goff 2, Patrick Mahomes 2,” PFF wrote.
Most game-winning drives this season
Deshaun Watson 4
Bo Nix 3
Josh Allen 2
Jared Goff 2
Patrick Mahomes 2 pic.twitter.com/Gl8gyvNzBZ— PFF (@PFF) October 18, 2026
Watson’s latest came in Sunday’s 13-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens, when he moved the offense into range for Andre Szmyt’s 37-yard field goal as time expired. Every one of Cleveland’s 4 wins has now required a go-ahead drive from its quarterback.
The turnaround within the game was striking. Watson completed just 3 of 9 passes for 24 yards in the 1st half as the Browns fell behind 10-0. After halftime, he went 13 of 17 for 140 yards and helped spark 13 unanswered points.
He did it while absorbing plenty of punishment. Watson was sacked 5 more times, pushing his season total to 24, yet he kept his composure and did not turn the ball over.
The company on this list speaks volumes. Watson sits ahead of Bo Nix, who has 3, and established stars like Josh Allen, Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes, who each have 2.
The bounce back matters, too. A week earlier, Watson could not finish the job against the New York Jets, as the Browns gave up a late lead and fell 17-12. Answering with another game-winning drive against a division rival showed the resilience Todd Monken has praised all season.
The production has quieted much of the conversation about his job security. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported this week that Watson’s runway is longer than it was 6 weeks ago, and performances like Sunday’s only strengthen that position.
Watson is in the final year of his contract, and every clutch drive adds to the case for his future. The Browns are 4-2 and in 1st place in the AFC North largely because their quarterback keeps delivering in the final minutes, and if that trend continues, his comeback season could become one of the defining stories in the NFL this year.
NEXT: Todd Monken Gave Game Ball To A Surprising Player
