The Browns can breathe a little easier, and Deshaun Watson too, after surviving an 18-13 pressure-cooker in Jacksonville. (Cleveland Browns)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
JACKSONVILLE, FL
“Whatever it takes” was the Browns’ theme all week to avoid the dreaded 0-2 start. And what it took was a throwback to last year when every quarterback not named Deshaun Watson was on the field.
Kevin Stefanski dusted off his cave man playbook from when P.J. Walker and Dorian Thompson-Robinson were used in emergencies last year. He used jumbo formations with two extra offensive linemen and his biggest back to push the ball forward, mostly on the ground, and punish the Jaguars on a steamy day in north Florida.
The defense and special teams did their part with exceptional contributions as the Browns did a 180-degree turn from the debacle loss to Dallas. This time, all phases contributed positively, not negatively, in an 18-13 win.
But, boy oh boy, did they have to sweat out the finish.
The Browns were forced to punt two times in the final two minutes and gave Trevor Lawrence two chances to pull out a game in which the Jaguars never led.
The game ended with Lawrence’s Hail Mary from the Browns’ 33-yard line falling to the ground in the end zone with safety Ronnie Hickman and cornerback M.J. Emerson surrounding Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange.
It would have been a cruel defeat because the Browns controlled the game and then almost self-imploded.
On the sideline, Watson said he was thinking, “Just don’t complete it.”
“It seemed like the last minute and 44 took forever,” said linebacker Jordan Hicks.
“When you’re in that situation, you’re like, ‘Lets just get to zero,’” exclaimed safety Rodney McLeod.
“That [ending] was one I won’t forget,” said Stefanski, who improved to 22-9 in regular-season games after losses. “Different things that came up … a safety, onside kick after a safety, some very strange things. But I think the guys battled like crazy.”
After building a 13-3 halftime lead, the Browns’ offense was throwing oil and rolling on rims in the fourth quarter with chances to put the game away. It wasn’t pretty.
They took over possession with 7:32 to go and a 16-13 lead. But four offensive penalties undermined the series. Corey Bojorquez had to punt from the Jaguars’ 41 after the two-minute warning. The ball hit at the 2-yard line and bounced directly left out of bounds – the best punt of his career, given the situation.
“I mean, honestly, yes,” Bojorquez said.
On the very next play, defensive end Alex Wright shot past his man and tackled Lawrence in the end zone for a safety. The lead was 18-13, but the game wasn’t over. There was 1:44 left.
The Jaguars announced they’d try an onside kick, per the new rules. Returner James Proche fielded punter Logan Cooke’s free kick on a fair catch at the Jaguars’ 42.
Again, the Browns’ offense couldn’t hold the ball. Jacksonville used its last two timeouts to force another Bojorquez punt with 1:33 left. Watson’s ill-advised pass on third down helped preserve time for the Jaguars. Even Stefanski, who never throws his players under the bus, admitted he was mad at Watson for not taking the sack.
So Lawrence had plenty of time to move 90 yards for a game-winning drive. But the $275 million golden boy was off all day – except for one 66-yard connection with rookie Brian Thomas – and the Browns survived.
“In the NFL, the game’s never over,” said Emerson. “You just have to be able to finish. That’s what we did. We held them off, Hail Mary knocked down. Now we’re going home victorious. It’s a great feeling.”
Stefanski’s offensive game plan was borne out of necessity and circumstances. Short-handed at tight end, he used guards Zak Zinter and Nick Harris as blocking tight ends. The conservative game plan allowed Watson to develop some much-needed confidence early, eat up game clock, and wear down the Jaguars’ defense.
A 16-play drive on the Browns’ first possession resulted in their only touchdown – a Watson 1-yard skip into the end zone on a QB draw.
Stefanski denied he intended to play keepaway, and also skirted the issue of effectively easing the responsibility from Watson.
“I’ve never gone into a game saying we need to possess the ball,” he said. “We’re always trying to move the sticks.”
Watson was loads better than his first start, but hardly lived up to “franchise quarterback” standards. He was 22 of 34 for 186 yards, 2 sacks, no turnovers, and a 78.8 passer rating. Still, that was better than Lawrence (14 of 30, 220 yards, 4 sacks, 71.5 rating.)
Although Watson had better chemistry with Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore (a combined 11 for 14 on targets), there was nothing going on with Amari Cooper. Cooper had another potential touchdown pass slip through his hands for the second game in a row and finished with 3 catches on 8 targets for 11 yards.
“Sometimes it takes time. There’s nothing to get frustrated with,” Watson said.
Stefanski professed satisfaction with Watson’s comeback performance.
“I’m not going to say [it was a] comeback performance,” Stefanski said. “That’s our starting quarterback out there making plays. He’s not perfect. I got mad at him at the end there. He made some plays. It’s who he is.
“I thought his pocket movement, making plays off schedule, was incredible. Couple throws downfield were really impressive. And he never blinked. We’re backing up and there’s penalties, and he never blinked.”
Stefanski inserted Jameis Winston on two occasions calling for a quarterback sneak. Winston converted the first one. The second time Jacksonville oversold for the sneak and Jerome Ford raced around the left edge with a handoff for a 36-yard run.
“We had some opportunities to continue drives, but had penalties, holding calls, mistakes, especially in the red zone that caused us to get back, put us in some tough situations,” Watson said. “The second half, we have to continue pushing forward, put more points on the board and help our defense. If we continue to do that, we’ll be a hard team to beat.”
They were good enough on this day to avoid a second straight loss. No matter what it took.