The Carolina Panthers may have expected some quarterback controversy surrounding their Week 3 matchup with the Cleveland Browns.
Instead, things are surprisingly settled on the shores of Lake Erie, where the Panthers will play on Sunday.
This will be the Browns’ home opener, and it was thought before the season that it could be an inflection point.
If Deshaun Watson struggled in the first two weeks after winning the starting job, he could’ve been replaced before the home fans had the chance to boo him.
That’s not going to happen, though. Watson appears to have solidified his hold on the job by playing well in Week 2.
Deshaun Watson vs. Baker Mayfield
Ironically, Watson and the Browns took on Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2.
Mayfield, of course, had been the No. 1 overall pick by the Browns. He was traded away to make room for Watson.
And he was traded to the Panthers back then, where it didn’t work out for Baker, but it allows things to come full circle.
In the duel with Mayfield, Watson came out on top in a 23-19 win.
It was a bizarre game, but it included a long TD pass from Watson to rookie Denzel Boston for the second straight week, and it ended with Watson kneeling out the clock.
It had first gone to a lightning delay with about two minutes left. Baker Mayfield came out of the delay with a second down just outside the red zone for the Bucs.
Of course they knew they were down four and needed a touchdown, and they would’ve spent the whole delay planning how to do it.
The Browns’ defense, though, was their equal. They got the stop, which set up a kneel down for Watson to seal it.
Browns-Panthers Matchup
Despite Watson’s win, the Panthers have to feel good about their chances here.
Carolina has scored 37 and 34 points in its first two games, and the defense stepped up in Week 2 to slow down an admittedly weak Falcons QB room.
That’s a great combination against the Browns.
Carolina’s defense should be able to slow down Watson, who hasn’t overly impressed in years. Watson simply hasn’t looked like the player he was pre-suspension and injuries.
The other option would’ve been a matchup with Shedeur Sanders. The second-year player was picked surprisingly in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after a slide, and he was the second QB the Browns picked just in that draft after Dillon Gabriel in the third round.
Sanders didn’t look great when he got a chance as a rookie, and it seems like the Panthers will have a good chance of slowing down either passer on Sunday.
It just at one point seemed like Watson was unlikely to be out there. Now, he’s won himself this opportunity to take the field at home.
Panthers’ Week 3 vs. Browns Surprisingly Settled at QB