Week 1 was a painful start to the season for the Cleveland Browns. Week 2 was a hard-earned and triumphant victory. The team beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-19 on Sunday, led by quarterback Deshaun Watson.
To some, this was a statement game from Watson, a message he was sending to all the critics and haters. Speaking on ESPN Cleveland, Tony Rizzo praised Watson and his head coach, Todd Monken.
He said that there is no doubt this was Watson’s game, and he deserves the accolades he is getting.
“You talk about revenge? Redemption? It was all for Deshaun. He played a hell of a game. Go back and watch some of the throws that kid made. I know it’s one week. We’re gonna take a deep breath. Number two, I gotta give it up for Todd Monken. I do, because I don’t know how he saw what he saw in practice and in the first game, because none of us saw it. If you say you did, you’re lying. Not one person thought that that kid was gonna turn it around like that. He looked like Deshaun Watson when he led the league in passing. He was poised. He didn’t turn the ball over. And, by the way, the Browns couldn’t run the ball for s**t, and they still won that game. You know who won that game? Watson won that game. End of story. Watson,” Rizzo said.
Rizz LOVED what he saw from Deshaun Watson yesterday in the Browns comeback victory. pic.twitter.com/rlh7rQdjp1
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) September 21, 2026
It may be a low bar to cross, but many analysts and fans are saying this was Watson’s best moment as a Brown. It also likely saved his job as a starting quarterback for another week. Now, most people expect to see him as QB1 in Week 3, and many of them won’t have an issue with that.
Although he didn’t get off to an amazing start on Sunday, he eventually got it together and was a vital part of the team’s comeback win. When the game started, a lot of people envisioned it as Watson’s last game as the team’s starting QB. They figured he wouldn’t play well again and Monken would elect to start Shedeur Sanders in Week 3 when the Browns head home.
Instead, it’s becoming clear that Monken may have been right to have faith in Watson. He stuck to his decision, and it paid off, at least during this game.
Now, he just has to keep it up or else people will quickly restate their desire to switch him out with Sanders.
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