Deshaun Watson owned the fourth quarter again. Caleb Williams was nearly flawless in his return from injury. Aaron Rodgers is still making late-game magic.
NFL comebacks come in different forms.
Written off after four disastrous seasons in Cleveland, Watson won the starting job in training camp and has made the most of what likely was going to be his last shot.
Watson overcame a rough three quarters to lead his fourth winning drive in the fourth quarter Sunday,
helping the Browns beat the Baltimore Ravens 13-10 to improve to 4-2.
“Deshaun, he knows he can play better. We can play better around him, but he’s just got something in him, the ability to make a play when needed,” Cleveland coach Todd Monken said.
Watson fired a 33-yard pass to Jerry Jeudy in the final minute to set up Andre Szmyt’s 37-yard field goal as time expired.
“I’ve been wanting to be that person since I was in high school, college, going back to my national championship last drive, to even my Houston days, and now,” said Watson, who came back after tearing his right Achilles tendon twice since October 2024. “I’ve always been like you give me an opportunity and a two-minute drive, I want to be that guy who’s going to make something happen and finish the game, and bring so much joy to the fans.”
Those are the same fans Watson chastised in the summer for cheering when he got hurt two years ago.
The Browns are already one win away from matching last season’s win total, and Watson has them competing in a tough AFC North.
In Atlanta, the Bears got Williams back after he missed three games with a hamstring injury. He showed no rust.
Williams completed his first 12 passes and finished 30 of 36 for 305 yards with one touchdown in Chicago’s 31-23 win over the Falcons. His 83% completion rate was the highest in franchise history with a minimum 30 attempts.
“Super juiced up to be back out here and I think it’s just completion, completion, completion,” Williams said. “That’s the focus. That’s the mindset.”
The Bears are 4-2 after rebounding from a lopsided loss to Green Bay and face the Patriots and Seahawks in their next two games. A healthy Williams gives them a better chance to repeat in the NFC North.
The Steelers trailed the Buccaneers 16-3 going into the fourth quarter and ended up winning 26-19 in overtime.
The 42-year-old Rodgers finished 33 of 49 for 253 yards with two TD passes, including a 6-yard toss to Germie Bernard in OT.
“We sputtered along there for a little bit, and then we kind of opened things up with some quicker stuff, on–the–ball stuff,” Rodgers said. “Felt like we got into a rhythm there.”
Los Angeles is seeing bad football. The Rams are 2-4 and aren’t playing close to expectations after entering the season as prohibitive favorites to win the Super Bowl. The Chargers had the fifth-best odds to win it but have opened 0-6 for the first time since 2000 when coach Jim Harbaugh was the team’s quarterback.
The Rams lost 18-16 at home to the Cardinals, who were 12 1/2-point underdogs. A prolific offense was held to 286 yards. Shaky defense and poor special teams played a role in the loss again. The addition of Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald headlined a spectacular offseason for the Rams. But Garrett has missed five games and Donald missed two.
The Chargers have bigger problems. They never had a chance in a 22-6 loss at Kansas City. Justin Herbert has regressed dramatically in his first season with offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. He has five TD passes, eight interceptions and a 68.8 passer rating. A depleted offensive line has contributed to Herbert’s troubles.
The Rams and Chargers meet in Week 8. The way things are going, a tie would be fitting.
Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was ejected from Buffalo’s 33-30 win over the Raiders because he spit on an opponent. Gardner-Johnson apologized to his teammates for his actions.
Chiefs defensive back Christian Roland-Wallace was ejected for throwing a punch at Chargers offensive lineman Alex Harkey.
Both players should expect fines this week from the NFL. Gardner-Johnson faces a suspension. Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase and Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter each were suspended one game for spitting last season. That’s the standard baseline for spitting incidents.
The division was 0-3 as the Cowboys, Giants and Eagles each lost.
With Jalen Hurts sidelined, Philadelphia lost 25-14 to Carolina. They’re 2-4. So is Dallas following a 23-13 loss at Green Bay. The Eagles host the Cowboys next week. The Giants lost at home 34-27 to the Saints. And that wasn’t even the biggest storyline in New York. Jameis Winston was benched for J.J. McCarthy, who nearly led a comeback win. Cam Skattebo got no carries and coach John Harbaugh refused to call it a punishment.
The Giants are 3-2-1 but face Houston on the road next Sunday.
The Commanders (1-3-1) have a chance to make up ground if they can beat undefeated San Francisco (5-0) on Monday night.
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