Great quarterbacks are often defined by what they do when a game hangs in the balance. Anyone can look sharp when the play is designed perfectly, but the ones who make a difference create something when everything breaks down late. That trait was a big part of why Cleveland traded for Deshaun Watson in the first place. After 2 straight wins, it appears some of it is finally coming back.
Tony Lima broke down what Watson has shown in back-to-back victories.
“A developing note throughout these last two games is that Watson has regained some of, not the identical form of him, running around, making plays, looking like a freak athlete in Houston. He’s not that now, but his ball skills and pump-faking and getting guys while keeping his head up and making guys miss, that seems to be back. I didn’t think we would ever see that again, but that was important because he was under duress much in this game that they still have a lot to work on in the passing game in general. I do think Deshaun has been able to show, for the first time since I’ve seen him in Cleveland, that he kinda can put the team on his back in some big moments in the 4th quarter,” Lima said.
"I do think Deshaun has been able to show for the first time since I've seen him in Cleveland that he kinda can put the team on his back in some big moments in the 4th quarter."
🚨 @SportsBoyTony to @KenCarman on what #Browns QB Deshaun Watson has shown in back-to-back wins pic.twitter.com/Ac58kDAiY4
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) September 28, 2026
The Houston version of Watson was one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in football. He made 3 Pro Bowls with the Texans, led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards in 2020 and ran for 551 yards in 2018, extending plays in ways few quarterbacks could.
That player rarely showed up in Cleveland. Injuries, including multiple Achilles surgeries that kept him off the field for all of 2025, made it fair to wonder whether that playmaking ability was gone for good.
The last 2 weeks suggest otherwise. Watson has 105 rushing yards on 24 carries this season, including 45 yards on 11 attempts against Carolina, and he has been escaping pressure with his eyes still downfield.
He has needed that mobility. Watson has been sacked 9 times through 3 games, and the Panthers were in his face for much of Sunday afternoon. Lima is right that the passing game still has plenty to clean up, as Watson averaged under 5 yards per attempt in the win.
What has changed is how he performs when it matters most. In Tampa Bay, he found Blake Whiteheart on a play-action touchdown in the 4th quarter to give Cleveland the lead for good. Against the Panthers, he hit Harold Fannin Jr. for a 14-yard score with 1:48 remaining and followed it with a 2-point conversion to Denzel Boston.
That is 2 straight games with a go-ahead touchdown pass in the final quarter. For a player whose first 3 seasons in Cleveland produced passer ratings between 79.0 and 84.3, delivering in those moments is a new development.
It also explains why Todd Monken has been so firm in his belief. Monken chose Watson because he trusted him to win games, and so far, that is exactly what Watson has done.
He is not the same athlete he was in Houston at 31 years old, and he may never be again. But a quarterback who can make defenders miss and still come through late is a major upgrade over what Cleveland has seen in recent years.
The Pittsburgh Steelers come to town Thursday night, and a close divisional game in primetime is the type of setting where that 4th-quarter ability will be tested again.
NEXT: Former Player Has High Praise For Deshaun Watson
