The 4th quarter is where reputations are made in the NFL. Anyone can put together a solid first half, but the quarterbacks who thrive when the game is on the line are the ones teams trust to carry them through a season. For years, that has not been a label anyone attached to Deshaun Watson in Cleveland. Three weeks into 2026, the numbers are telling a very different story.
Browns PR’s Dan Murphy shared the latest leaderboard on Wednesday, showing Watson is leading the NFL in 4th-quarter QB rating after three weeks.
“2026 4th quarter QB rating leaders after three weeks: 1. Deshaun Watson 148.4 2. Patrick Mahomes 148.0,” Murphy wrote.
2026 4th quarter QB rating leaders after three weeks:
1. Deshaun Watson 148.4
2. Patrick Mahomes 148.0— Dan Murphy (@DMurph_BrownsPR) September 30, 2026
To put that in perspective, a perfect passer rating is 158.3. Watson has been operating just below that ceiling in the final quarter of games, and he is doing it ahead of Mahomes, a 3-time Super Bowl champion who has built his career on late-game magic.
The split between Watson’s overall numbers and his 4th-quarter production is striking. His passer rating for the season sits at 104.1, which is solid, but he ranks 19th in QBR and 23rd in passing yards. Through the first 3 quarters, the offense has often sputtered. In the 4th, Watson has looked like a different player.
The last 2 games explain why. In Tampa Bay, he hit Blake Whiteheart for a 17-yard touchdown off play-action with 3:51 remaining to give the Browns the lead for good. Against Carolina, he found Harold Fannin Jr. for a 14-yard score with 1:48 left and then hit Denzel Boston on the 2-point conversion.
Those throws made him the first Browns quarterback since Brian Sipe in 1980 to deliver a go-ahead, game-winning touchdown pass in the final 4 minutes of regulation in back-to-back games.
What has stood out on film is his composure. Watson has been patient in the pocket late in games, keeping his eyes downfield while sliding away from pressure instead of forcing throws. Todd Monken has also shown confidence in him, trusting Watson on critical 4th downs and in tight situations.
This is a small sample, and that comes with a caveat. A few throws in either direction can swing a quarter-specific passer rating dramatically, and it is too early to call Watson one of the league’s elite closers.
The Browns would also prefer not to need late heroics every week. They were held scoreless in both the 1st and 3rd quarters against Carolina, and cleaning up penalties and early-game execution would take pressure off the final minutes.
Still, Watson’s ability to rise in big moments has changed the conversation around him in a short amount of time. That will be tested again Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with Luke Wypler expected to start at center in place of the injured Elgton Jenkins.
Division games against Pittsburgh have a habit of coming down to the wire. If this one does, the Browns will feel better than they have in years about who has the ball in his hands.
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