HOUSTON — Hi everybody from NRG Stadium in Houston. What a crazy ballgame today. I mean, at one point, the score was 5-0, with the Texans in the lead.
But in the end, the scoreboard tilted the right way for the Browns and they win it 27-14.
But here's the thing: they won a very different way today. They won with their defense scoring, coming up with turnovers and they have been very shy of doing that all season long. But not today -- the turnovers were flowing.
They also came up with a couple of big plays on special teams. In fact, in what special teams that really got them awake in this ballgame -- a 76-yard punt return by Donovan Peoples-Jones. The first Browns punt return for a touchdown since Travis Benjamin, "The Rabbit," did it back in 2015 against Tennessee. But what a return by DPJ, who is really becoming an all-around terrific player. He gave the Browns one big play and it gave them the lead, which they never surrendered. They went ahead 7-5. Like I said, it was a crazy game.
But the Browns scored on defense too. Denzel Ward with a scoop and score, picking up a fumble by Kyle Allen on a quarterback sneak, taking it four yards for the touchdown. Tony Fields coming up with an interception that batted up in the air. He picked it off and took it in for a touchdown and then recovered a fumble on special teams.
You see, they were winning in a much different way.
But offensively, it was a much different game for Deshaun Watson, who truly looked like a guy who hasn't played in an NFL regular-season game in 700 days. You know what? It turns out playing quarterback in the NFL, it's not just like riding a bike. You really need game-time action.
Watson really struggled throughout the game. Couldn't get the Browns offense on any kind of drive. Certainly not any drives that could lead to scores as he went 12-22 for the game for 131 yards with a glaring interception that he threw in the end zone as he was picked off by the young safety, Pitre, of the Houston Texans.
It was a good thing the Browns were playing a team that came into the game at 1-9-1. But for the first time this year, the Browns win two in a row. They're 5-7. But now it gets very, very tough. Like next week, they're in Cincinnati against the Bengals as they take on Joe Burrow and all of that talent that the Bengals have. So it becomes a very big second week of getting ready for a game for Deshaun Watson.
Did he kick off all the rust today? Because he'll need to play much better next Sunday in Cincinnati against that Bengals defense and try to match that Bengals offense that can score from any point on the field.
But that's next week. Hopefully the second week for him is going to be much better as Deshaun Watson debuts against his old team, in his old stadium and the Browns come out a winner.
I'll say this and some of the Browns players said this too: for first games as a Browns starting quarterback, he's 1-0. And through the years since 1999, not many of them have been able to say that.
So the Browns are heading home and then staying in-state next week when they take on the Bengals in Cincinnati. Final score once again, the Browns win it over the Texans 27-14 to go to 5-7 on the season.