Deshaun Watson’s latest game-winning drive for the Cleveland Browns came with an apparent assist from the officials.
Right tackle Dawand Jones appeared to jump very early on Watson’s completion to Harold Fannin Jr., which set up the winning field goal against the Tennessee Titans. Officials kept their flags in their pockets, allowing the pivotal gain to stand.
Andre Szmyt’s 32-yard field goal sealed Cleveland’s 27-24 victory, moving the Browns to 5-2. But the movement before the snap drew immediate scrutiny.
“Whole press box called out ‘false start’ in unison on Fannin’s big play to set up field goal,” Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky said on X.
The reaction extended beyond the press box, with viewers questioning how Jones avoided a penalty at such a critical moment.
“Bro was that not the most blatant false start on the Browns of all time?” one fan wrote on X.
“Man, they just cheated us so bad false start on the Browns … NFL rigged,” another fan posted.
“Stevie Wonder could see the Browns false start on the big Harold Fannin play and the on-field refs didn’t,” another account wrote.
A false-start call would have stopped the play and backed Cleveland up five yards. Instead, the completion stood, leaving Tennessee to absorb another close loss.
Deshaun Watson Delivers Fifth Game-Winning Drive for Browns
The controversy added a different wrinkle to an increasingly familiar finish for Cleveland. Watson has now engineered five game-winning drives this season, one for each Browns victory. Questions about whether Cleveland can sustain that formula have followed the team, but Watson keeps producing when the Browns need him most.
“Deshaun Watson’s fifth game-winning drive of the season is the most by a Browns QB in a single season this century, according to ESPN Research,” ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi wrote on X.
A week earlier, Cleveland managed just 46 yards in the first half against the Baltimore Ravens before rallying for a 13-10 victory. Watson’s 33-yard connection with Jerry Jeudy on the final possession helped set up Szmyt’s winning kick.
Those finishes have helped the Browns win while working through problems that coach Todd Monken has readily acknowledged. However, five winning drives speak to Watson’s ability to handle those late situations when the game is on the line.
“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,” Watson said after beating the Ravens. “I’ve always been lik,e 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.”
Sunday featured a much more complete performance by the Cleveland offense, which piled up a season-high 491 yards of total offense.
Browns Surrender Late Lead Before Beating Titans
Cleveland had already worked its way out of an early hole before the frantic finish.
The Titans jumped ahead 14-0 on a pair of Tony Pollard touchdown runs. Quinshon Judkins answered with two rushing scores, and Szmyt’s field goal before halftime gave Cleveland a 17-14 advantage.
After Tennessee pulled even in the fourth quarter, Watson put the Browns back in front with a 9-yard touchdown run. The score capped an eight-play, 71-yard drive and gave Cleveland a 24-17 lead.
The defense couldn’t protect it. Tennessee answered with an 11-play, 63-yard touchdown drive, with Pollard scoring from a yard out for his third touchdown of the afternoon. Joey Slye’s extra point tied the game at 24-24 with 58 seconds remaining.
That left Watson less than a minute to keep Cleveland out of overtime. His connection with Fannin supplied the crucial gain, and Szmyt finished the job with his second field goal of the afternoon.
NFL Officials Under Fire Over Costly No-Call on Browns’ Final Drive