It would be easy for skeptics to say that the Cleveland Browns’ 27-24 victory against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday left a lot to be desired. Going down to the final play to defeat a one-win opponent does not befit the status of a first-place team.
But that is how the Browns are going about their business this season, and it is hard to argue with the results. Cleveland is off to one of the best starts in franchise history, doing so with a series of dramatic comebacks.
Despite the narrow margin of victory, the Browns earned a notable grade for their Week 7 performance, getting a B from CBS Sports analyst John Breech.
“Watson pulled off another game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, marking the fifth time this year he’s done that. In the game’s final quarter, he went 6-of-9 for 76 yards, including a 36-yard pass to Harold Fannin that helped set up Andre Szmyt’s game-winning kick. The Browns topped 400 yards of offense for the first time this season, and if you combine that with how well this defense is playing, it’s starting to feel like the Browns might be a big part of the playoff conversation going forward,” Breech wrote.
That grade easily could have wound up much lower. Facing one of the worst teams in the NFL, the Browns gave up an opening-drive touchdown, and after Watson threw an interception, they trailed 14-0 midway through the first quarter.
Cleveland was able to take a 17-14 lead at halftime. But after building it to 24-17, it allowed Tennessee to move 63 yards on 11 plays for the tying TD with less than a minute to go.
Yet it seems the Browns had the Titans right where they wanted them. Watson embarked on what would become another late scoring drive, with a 36-yard pass to Harold Fannin Jr. setting up Andre Szmyt’s 32-yard field goal.
The veteran quarterback posted his first 300-yard passing game with the Browns, covering 26 games over five seasons. Wide receiver KC Concepcion accounted for 129 of those 306 yards, all in the first half of a historic performance, and running back Quinshon Judkins had his best game of the season, with 96 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.
So, there was a lot to like on offense, with 491 total yards. The defense, on the other hand, gave up 129 yards and three TDs to Titans running back Tony Pollard, including on that late scoring drive.
It is easy to say that the Browns may have lost to almost any other team, but if they have proven anything this season, it is that if there is a way to win, they will somehow find it.
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