3 Takeaways From Browns Week 2 Win Over Buccaneers

After a disaster week one, expectations were low as they traveled to Tampa Bay to face the Baker Mayfield led Buccaneers.

On paper the Browns were just hoping to stay competitive, but even with an extended rain delay, the Browns pulled off the 23-19 win to move to 1-1 on the year.

1. Deshaun plays it safe and rebounds

After a brutal week one where Deshaun Watson played very poorly, missing throws and taking some bad sacks, Watson got into a good rhythm.

Watson played it very safe all game long. He took plenty of checkdowns with Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin each grabbing five catches. Most importantly though, he didn’t turn it over.

Watson gave the Browns’ offense a chance. When they don’t turn it over, it gives opportunities for Denzel Boston to break away for a 55-yard touchdown.

This is the best version of Watson at this point of his career. A safe player who can make quick decisions, avoid turnovers and try to keep the offense on schedule. The Browns can win games if he plays like that.

2. Quick fix for the defense

Last week the Browns defensive unit couldn’t slow down the Jacksonville Jaguars passing attack. This week, they frustrated the Buccaneers offense.

Mason Graham has been developing very nicely this season, getting a sack each week and being a major piece of the run defense. Carson Schwesinger had a bounce back week, Quincy Williams finally contributed and Isaiah McGuire had a big game.

Even the secondary was much sharper. Mayfield tried to take one-on-one chances, but couldn’t connect in tight coverage. Myles Harden had his best career day as a Brown with an interception and PBU to force a field goal.

Most impressive was how the Browns handled the delay. Tampa Bay had hours to plan on getting just 20 yards with two minutes. They had all the advantages, but Cleveland’s defense stepped up.

The biggest knock on the Browns is that the tackling was subpar. If Cleveland cleans that up, they could be back to the same unit we saw last year.

3. Denzel Boston is a star

The Browns have been trying to run a large part of the offense through rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion, for good reason, but so far, Boston has been arguably the more impressive receiver.

He’s got an unnatural ability to come down with 50/50 balls at a pretty high rate. He had a big catch to set Cleveland up for a field goal early, and despite dropping a potential touchdown later, he made up for it with the 55-yard score to give the Browns a chance.

He finished the day with five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown, his second of the year already. Expect him to find a bigger and bigger role over the next few weeks, and don’t be surprised if Jerry Jeudy leaves Cleveland soon because of it.