CLEVELAND — With unexpected rain coming off the shores of Lake Erie, it has been a bit of a struggle for both the Browns and Bengals as they face off in their 2023 season opener.
It took a while for either team to find the end zone, but when it happened, it came at the perfect time for Cleveland.
With time winding down on the first half and a precarious 3-0 lead, quarterback Deshaun Watson was able to drive the Browns deep into Cincinnati territory. Cleveland had used all of its timeouts and had the ball on the 13-yard line with less than 30 seconds left, but Watson decided to take a risk, tucking it and running himself for the score (and fittingly celebrating by playing an air guitar).
Had he been tackled, the Browns could've been in a tight spot with the clock still running. Instead, they got their first touchdown of the season, and a boatload of momentum heading into halftime.
The elements caused Watson to struggle a bit in the first 30 minutes, as the QB went 10 of 20 for just 85 yards passing. However, he did complete two big throws to Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones on that final drive, and and has 32 yards on four carries including the scoring run.