Deshaun Watson finally got back in the win column, and he had to wait out a storm to do it.
The Cleveland Browns beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-19 on Sunday in a game that was pushed back two hours after lightning hit the west coast of Florida. The delay left the field soaked and water pouring down the stadium stairwells, with the stoppage coming around 4 p.m.
ET and Tampa Bay holding the ball at the Browns’ 28-yard line. By the time the teams finished, it was 6:17 p.m. - more than five hours after kickoff.
For Cleveland, it was the first win of the season. For Watson, it was his first NFL victory since Week 2 of the 2024 season.
Watson, 31, was back under center last week after missing time since Week 7 of the 2024 season because of a serious injury. The Browns opened the year with a 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Watson’s return has been a long road back after he has started just 21 games since Cleveland acquired him in a blockbuster trade from Houston four years ago and handed him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract.
His time in Cleveland has been defined as much by the off-field fallout as the football. In his first season with the Browns, Watson served an 11-game league suspension and paid a $5 million fine after two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage therapy sessions.
The Texans were also accused of failing to act despite being “well aware of Watson's issues.” Both the team and Watson denied the allegations, and later settlements were reached with around two dozen women without any admission of wrongdoing.
Watson’s return to form has also been interrupted by injuries. After dealing with rust when he came back, he was starting to look like a Pro Bowl quarterback again before a season-ending shoulder injury in 2023. This season, he is back after twice rupturing his Achilles tendon.
Just before the 2026 season began, Watson was also in court in Cleveland after receiving a speeding ticket. The Ohio State Highway Patrol accused him of driving 86 mph in a 60 mph zone on August 26. Fox8 reported that Watson pleaded not guilty in Cleveland Municipal Court, with a bench trial set for September 23.
Against Tampa Bay, Watson delivered one of his cleanest games in a Browns uniform. He threw two touchdown passes, including the go-ahead 17-yard strike to Blake Whiteheart in the fourth quarter, and finished 24 of 30 for 238 yards without a turnover.
It also came against Baker Mayfield, in the first meeting between the two quarterbacks whose careers have been tied together. Mayfield went 21 of 34 for 182 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception.
Mayfield was the No. 1 overall pick by Cleveland in 2018 before being traded to Carolina in 2022 after the blockbuster deal that brought Watson - and his off-field baggage - to the Browns. Mayfield later moved from the Panthers to the Rams, then revived his career in Tampa Bay, where he has made two Pro Bowls and signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension last week.
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