Donovan Peoples-Jones' 76-yard punt return for a touchdown was the offensive highlight of the game in Deshaun Watson's long-awaited debut for the Browns. (Cleveland Browns)
Browns defense, special teams make Deshaun Watson a winner in first game back
You must have an active subscription to read this story.
Click Here to subscribe Now!
Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Instant takeaways from Browns' 27-14 victory over Houston Texans ...
1. In and out: Deshaun Watson’s long-awaited debut for the Browns in Houston was saved by the Texans. They were so bad on offense the Browns got out of Dodge with a 27-14 victory despite a shaky, rusty, unimpressive first game by their $230 million quarterback. The Browns scored two touchdowns on defense and one on special teams – a barrage of support never enjoyed by Jacoby Brissett. Watson threw so many balls into the NRG Stadium turf, the Browns might receive a bill for carpet repair. Watson’s lone decent drive ended in an interception in the end zone when he didn’t see the safety. But at this point of the season, teams don’t receive style points for must-wins. In his first NFL game in 700 days, Watson was 12 of 22 for 131 yards, one interception and a 53.4 passer rating. The Browns also gave up a safety when Nick Chubb was stuffed in the end zone on a handoff from the 1. The suffering Texans fans started the game booing Watson, their former quarterback, and ended it booing Kyle Allen, their alleged present starting quarterback. Allen was intercepted twice and lost a fumble. Allen’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins after the two-minute warning was the only offensive touchdown of the game. Ugliness aside, the Browns won two in a row for the first time this year and improved to 5-7 with games ahead against division rival Cincinnati and Baltimore. You’d like to think Kevin Stefanski was trying to keep Watson under wraps for them. Yeah, right.
2. Strawberry Fields: Linebacker Tony Fields – yes, that Tony Fields – took advantage of Allen’s horrendous quarterbacking when he returned the first interception of his career 16 yards for his first touchdown. Allen was pressured by Myles Garrett and attempted a short sidearm throw. It deflected off defensive end Chase Winovich and into Fields’ arms, triggering the Pick 6. A few minutes later, Fields recovered a fumbled punt by Desmond King – the Texans’ fourth turnover of the day. On the play, linebacker Sione Takitaki suffered a leg injury. He was helped to the blue medical tent and then carted off into the locker room.
3. A precious gem: Denzel Ward scored his second touchdown of the season when Allen fumbled the ball trying to sneak from his one 1-yard line on Houston’s first possession of the second half. Ward scooped up the ball at the 4 and trotted in.
4. Comeback kid: Cade York had a nice bounce-back game from recent field-goal misses. In the climate-controlled confines under the closed roof of NRG Stadium, York made a pair of field goals from 42 yards in the fourth quarter.
5. The Peoples’ Jones: The extent of the Browns’ offense in the first half was a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown by Donovan Peoples-Jones, on which he emerged from early traffic in the middle of the field, broke to the right sideline and flashed his under-rated speed to the end zone. It was the first Browns’ return touchdown since Travis Benjamin had one of 78 yards in the second game of the 2015 season. It was only the second punt return for a touchdown overall in the NFL this year. The PAT gave the Browns a 7-5 lead at halftime. Yes, 7-5.
6. Clank, clank: Rust? Yes, Watson looked like he hadn’t played in 700 days in the first half. He was 8 of 14 for 96 yards, one interception, and a 48.5 passer rating. He missed his first two passes, the second one coming up way short for David Bell. His third pass to Anthony Schwartz was completed, but Schwartz lost the ball on a punch out from behind by ex-Brown Tavierre Thomas. The Texans turned that into a 44-yard field goal and 3-0 lead. Watson also was off the mark on an easy short slant for Amari Cooper and threw low on a short pass that Kareem Hunt crouched to catch. Watson’s worst throw was yet to come. On the only extended drive on offense in the first half, Watson didn’t see safety Jalen Pitre on a pass for Cooper in the center of the end zone. It was intercepted. Watson escaped another turnover when a fumble was over-ruled on conference as an incompletion.
7. You kidding me?: Besides the two offensive turnovers, the Browns gave up a safety when Nick Chubb was tackled in the end zone by defensive tackle Roy Lopez on a handoff from the 1-yard line. A false-start penalty on Wyatt Teller on second down had moved the ball to the 1. Chubb was stymied for 37 yards on eight rushes in the first half; Hunt had 29 on five attempts.
8. Dee-fense: The Texans’ offense is awful, but it moved the ball after Watson’s interception from the Texans’ 26 to the Browns’ 3. Two Kyle Allen incompletions and a 1-yard run made it fourth-and-goal at the 1. The Browns lined up six defensive linemen anticipating a sneak or handoff to Dameon Pierce. Allen play-faked and threw for fullback Troy Hairston. Safety Grant Delpit met Hairston when the ball arrived and knocked Hairston and the ball to the ground. Hairston left the game with a rib injury.
9. Jacoby sighting: On the Browns’ third possession, they faced a third-and-1 at the Houston 46. Watson trotted off the field and Jacoby Brissett trotted on. QB sneak right? No, Brissett handed up to tight end Harrison Bryant on a TE jet sweep for the first down. This is a way of keeping Brissett involved, I suppose.
10. Great challenge: Allen’s first play of the game was a pass to tight end Teagan Quitoriano that looked like it bounced off the floor and into safety John Johnson’s hands. The game officials ruled incomplete. The Browns challenged the ruling, however, based on their opinion the ball caromed off the body of Quitoriano. They were correct. Johnson was credited with an interception.
11. Ooomph: Fields got a lot of playing time in the game. On one play Dameon Pierce caught a short pass and knocked Fields flat on his back for extra yards on a 14-yard gain. Pierce is 218 pounds, Fields charitably listed at 222. Man, small linebackers.
12. Pre-game notes: Nothing surprising on the Browns’ inactives. Tight end David Njoku (knee) was ruled out during the week. The healthy scratches were quarterback Kellen Mond, receiver Michael Woods, cornerback Thomas Graham, defensive end Isaiah Thomas and defensive tackle Tommy Togiai. The Texans had two injured starters inactive, receiver Brandin Cooks (calf) and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (hamstring).
