Harold Fannin’s second touchdown of the day turned the game, and Ronnie Hickman’s interception closed it out as the Browns edged the Panthers 21-18 on a fourth-quarter surge.
Cleveland had controlled things for most of the afternoon, leaning on a defense that kept Carolina out of the end zone until late in the fourth quarter. That changed when Bryce Young found John Metchie on an 8-yard touchdown pass to cap a drive midway through the period. The Panthers then failed on the two-point try, but the score still pushed Carolina ahead 18-13.
That lead didn’t last long. Deshaun Watson answered by guiding Cleveland back down the field, even after briefly leaving the game when he took a hard hit on a play that drew a roughing-the-passer flag.
Watson returned and delivered the knockout drive, finishing it with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Fannin on third-and-10. He followed that by connecting with Denzel Boston for the two-point conversion, putting the Browns in front by three.
From there, Cleveland still needed one more stop, and Hickman provided it by picking off Young with about 10 seconds left to effectively end the game.
Watson completed 16 of 30 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 45 rushing yards on 11 carries. Fannin was his top target, finishing with seven catches for 51 yards and two scores.
Young finished 26-of-48 for 291 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
The Panthers were also without Jalen Coker for much of the game after he left with a quad injury.
The Browns, now 2-1, return quickly to the field when they host the division-rival Steelers on Sunday. The 1-2 Panthers will be back home next Sunday night against the Lions.
In Other News...
Panthers Leave Week 3 With One Problem They Can't Ignore
The Panthers Week 3 loss in Cleveland was the kind of game that leaves a lingering concern beyond the final score. Bryce Young spent much of the afternoon under duress, taking three sacks as Carolinas offense never quite found its footing against a Browns front that made protection a constant issue. Add in the injuries that hit key pieces like wide receiver Jalen Coker and cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, and the margin for error got even thinner.
Carolinas defense had chances to keep the game within reach, but Deshaun Watsons late touchdown pass while scrambling was the sort of play that can swing a close contest and underline what was missing for the Panthers. The bigger issue, though, is hard to miss after a 21-18 loss: if the line cant give Young cleaner pockets and the injury list keeps growing, the offense will have a hard time sustaining anything week to week. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Canales Weighed In On The Call Panthers Fans Are Fuming Over
The Panthers left Week 3 with a bitter feeling, and the sequence that sparked it came late in a loss to the Browns. A roughing-the-passer penalty on linebacker Bobby Okereke wiped out an interception by cornerback Akayleb Evans, turning what looked like a momentum-changing stop into a fresh Browns drive that eventually ended in the game-winning touchdown.
Dave Canales addressed the call afterward and pointed to the hit on Deshaun Watsons head as the reason the flag was thrown, even as Panthers fans bristled at how costly the ruling became. Carolina still had two chances to get back even after that, but the offense came up empty on a turnover on downs and then an interception, leaving the penalty to loom even larger in a game the Panthers had every chance to steal. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Loss Exposed An Offensive Problem Fans Wont Ignore
A rough afternoon against Cleveland put Carolinas offense under the microscope, and not just because Bryce Young was forced to deal with steady pressure. The run game never gave the Panthers much relief, and the combined effect of those issues made it harder for the offense to find any rhythm, especially with injuries also thinning out key spots across the roster.
What stood out most was how little confidence the Panthers seemed to have in leaning on the ground game when the game tightened up. For a group that spent the offseason trying to upgrade its protection and stabilize the offense, the lack of push up front was hard to miss, and it leaves a familiar question hanging over how this unit is supposed to hold up when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]