The Cleveland Browns have done it again. With another win, the Browns are now 2-1 on the year and have set themselves up for a big matchup in Week 3.
Against the Panthers, the defense of the Browns had its best game of the year. Through the first three quarters, Bryce Young and their entire offense couldn't catch a break or have a moment to build momentum. The constant pressure from their defensive front made an impact and held them without a touchdown for three quarters. Then, when the offense struggled in the fourth, they stuffed several Panthers drives and held them to a field goal, keeping the score within reach.
In the end, Deshaun Watson and the Browns' offense, led by Harold Fannin Jr., had their moment in the fourth quarter. They scored
a go-ahead touchdown with under two minutes, and that three-point lead they established was all their defense needed.
Now, after the dust has settled, we have some winners and losers from the game to go over on the Browns side of things.
Winner: Mason Graham
Mason Graham is playing at an All-Pro level through three weeks of the season. He has four sacks in three games after securing two on Sunday against the Panthers. On top of that, he is also generating consistent pressure and it is allowing this defense to get back to the sort of play they enjoyed with Myles Garrett and Jim Schwartz directing it. Each week has been more growth for Graham, and in Week 4 he has a chance to showcase it on a national stage against the Steelers.
Loser: Deshaun Watson in quarters one through three
Through three quarters on Sunday, Watson had just 67 passing yards. In the fourth quarter, he turned into something we haven't seen for most of the game, and it saved the team's efforts as they secured a comeback win. Now, while Watson was being cheered off the field, he was nearly booed off of it. The first three quarters, the offense could not build momentum; penalties were a cause, but Watson didn't help. He needs to be able to lead this team to wins in the first three quarters just as much as in the fourth. The magic may not always be there, and they need to build some more consistency.
Winner: Todd Monken
I will be the first to admit, I was ready to write off Todd Monken after Week 1. What he has shown in these last two weeks is that he will always be transparent, he knows the moment he is in, and he is as invested as any head coach is in the NFL. The playcalling can be hit or miss at times, but you see this team will rally behind him and play for him. Sometimes that is the best trait a coach can have: when his team buys into him.
Loser: Quinshon Judkins
Let me be clear: this is not labeling Judkins as a loser for his performance. He is a loser because he lost out on plenty more meaningful touches due to the playcalling. This Panthers' defense showed in the first two weeks that they couldn't stop the run, and in Week three they showed it as well. Judkins averaged 3.9 yards due to a lot of short-yardage situations, but he should've been able to eclipse the century mark.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Winners and Losers from the Browns' Week 3 win
