He was not a model of efficiency, but it has become clear that every time Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson gets on the field here in 2026, he seems to get a little better, he raises the level of his teammates a bit more and the coaching staff gets more and more willing to put more faith in his ability to rip off chunk plays. That was the case on Sunday against the Texans–the team that, fatefully, jettisoned Watson to Cleveland back in 2022–in a game that was something of a must-have for the Browns in terms of their position in the standings and their hopes to reach the NFL playoffs. It was a must-have for Watson, too, given the opponent.
That’s according to his coach, at least, who watched Watson yet again take a major early deficit–this time, it was 17-0 in the first half–and turn it into a thrilling win with a last-minute scoring drive. The Browns stormed back and retook control of the game in the second half, getting a touchdown with 53 seconds to play to secure a 27-24 win.
Deshaun Watson’s Win ‘Meant a Lot’
The win moves the Browns to 6-4 heading into their bye. Asked about Watson, head coach Todd Monken said he felt good for his QB because of the revenge factor vs. Houston, but also because the Browns remain relevant in the conference with the win.
Monken said: “It says a lot about Deshaun. I am happy for him. He may not—I don’t care what he says, this meant a lot. It meant a lot to a lot of our guys that were with the Texans previously, we have a number of those guys. It does mean a lot. It means a lot to me because it is an AFC game, it s a home game, we are now 4-0 at home. We get the bye week.
“Being 6-4, being 4-0 at home after they stuck us with six road games, going into the bye week, pretty cool.”
Browns Defense Stiffened Up
Watson finished with 312 yards passing, completing 25 of 40 passes without a touchdown and with one interception. The Browns, as has become their norm, struggled in the first quarter, but got better as the game went on, especially the defense. Cleveland allowed 17 points on their first three defensive drives, but forced five punts and an interception on the Texans’ next six drives.
Similarly, the Browns’ offense struggled early Monken would very much like to find a cure for that.
Said Monken: “I wish, collectively, him and I would play better early and coach better early. To get to this, and it has not just been them, it has been our team. It has been a credit to our team, our guys up front, it says a lot about them.”
Browns Win Over Ex-Team ‘Meant a Lot’ to Deshaun Watson