Credit is not always shared evenly in a winning season. Defenses that dominate get the headlines, young players who break out get the buzz, and sometimes the player making the biggest plays at the end of games gets lost in the conversation. That can happen even at quarterback, especially when the overall numbers are not flashy. One longtime Browns insider believes that is happening in Cleveland right now.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com made the case for Deshaun Watson with Ken Carman and Anthony Lima on 92.3 The Fan.
“He’s still knocking off the rust from being out of football for 22 months and having 3 surgeries over the past several years, including two on the Achilles. He’s still knocking off the rust and figuring things out, but I don’t think he’s gotten enough credit for the 4 fourth-quarter game-winning drives that he has executed,” Cabot said.
“They would not be 4-2 without him.”
➡️ @MaryKayCabot w/ @KenCarman & @SportsBoyTony on Deshaun Watson’s fourth-quarter play and why he deserves more credit for the #Browns’ 4-2 start. pic.twitter.com/x1IfK7oJPo
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 22, 2026
Before this season, Watson had not played a regular-season game since October 2024, and many people doubted he would ever look like a capable starter again.
Instead, every Browns win has gone through him in the 4th quarter. He found Blake Whiteheart for the go-ahead touchdown in Tampa Bay and hit Harold Fannin Jr. late against the Carolina Panthers. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, he moved the offense into range for Andre Szmyt’s winning field goals in the final seconds.
That gives Watson 4 game-winning drives, the most in the NFL, ahead of Bo Nix, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. He also became the first Browns quarterback since Brian Sipe in 1980 to throw go-ahead touchdowns in the final 4 minutes of back-to-back games.
The full-game numbers explain why that has been overlooked. Watson ranks around the middle of the league in passer rating, and the offense has also had some ugly stretches, including 46 yards in the 1st half against Baltimore.
Much of that is not on him. Watson has been sacked 24 times and has faced pressure as often as almost any quarterback in the league. Even so, he has thrown 7 touchdown passes against just 2 interceptions, and he has protected the football when games are on the line.
Cabot’s argument comes down to what wins games. Cleveland’s defense keeps opponents within reach, but someone still has to finish the job. Without Watson’s late drives, the Browns could easily be 0-6, and that perspective is often missing when people talk about their start.
He is in the final year of his contract, and every clutch moment adds to the case for his future. The Browns begin a 3-game road trip Sunday in Tennessee, and if those games come down to the final minutes again, Watson has shown he can deliver.
NEXT: Insider Reveals Why Sunday Is A Must-Win For Browns
