In four games of his rookie season, Cleveland Browns rookie wide receiver and former Washington Huskies star Denzel Boston has quickly asserted himself as a big-play threat. For the third time this season, the second-round pick led his team in receiving and lifted the Browns to a 27-24 win over an AFC North rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Since quarterback Deshaun Watson has had a bit of a resurgence following a Week One loss, the Cleveland passing game has taken a major leap in production, and that starts with the 6-foot-4, 215-pound wideout. Following a Week Three performance where he had just two catches for 41 yards, Boston turned in 4 catches for 89 yards on seven targets on Thursday night.
The performance was highlighted by a 60-yard reception
that came in the second quarter, as Boston nearly took it all the way for a touchdown, before he got caught inside the Pittsburgh 15-yard line. The explosive play led to a Cleveland touchdown that gave the Browns their first lead of the game, a lead that they held for the majority of the contest.
Entering the contest, the deep ball specialist ranked third in the NFL in yards per catch at 21.7 yards, trailing only the New England Patriots' Romeo Doubs and Baltimore Ravens' Zay Flowers. After posting an average of 22.3 against his division rival, he should continue to stay among the top of the leaderboard through the first quarter of the regular season.
Boston wasn't the only rookie receiver lighting it up in first-year head coach Todd Monken's, though, as the No. 24 overall pick, KC Concepcion, turned in a big night with 5 catches for 64 yards. The former Texas A&M Aggie led his team in targets with eight, followed by Boston and running back Quinshon Judkins, who each had seven, respectively.
After what looked like it would be another long season in the Rock and Roll Capital of the World, Cleveland has ripped off three wins in a row and currently sits atop the AFC North entering Sunday. With a trip to New York next up to take on the Jets, another opportunity awaits the Browns offense to continue to build momentum.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Former Washington Standout WR Leads Browns to 27-24 Thursday Night Win
