CLEVELAND — 4 days earlier than Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston was set to make his first NFL begin in additional than two years, he provided a assured assertion.
“I view this as a possibility to go on the market and be my highest,” Winston mentioned Wednesday. “And after I’m my highest, I am an awesome NFL starter.”
Winston backed up that discuss Sunday, throwing the game-winning landing within the Browns’ 29-24 upset victory over the Baltimore Ravens to finish a five-game shedding streak. It was Cleveland’s first sport since shedding beginning quarterback Deshaun Watson to a season-ending Achilles tendon tear.
Winston did his half in injecting life right into a Cleveland offense that had been one of many NFL’s worst by means of seven video games.
He accomplished 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards — a franchise document for a quarterback in a Browns debut — and three touchdowns, together with the 38-yard, go-ahead rating to vast receiver Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds remaining.
“I assumed he performed properly,” Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski mentioned of Winston. “I assumed the safety was excellent all day. The blokes actually took the problem of that, and I assumed he obtained by means of his reads and guys obtained open. He made good selections. Wasn’t excellent. He is not going to play excellent. I am not going to teach excellent. However I assumed he performed properly.”
With Stefanski handing playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, the Browns had a rhythm and a circulation it lacked all season with Watson below heart. Cleveland (2-6) reached 20 factors for the primary time all season and set season-high marks for passing yards, complete yards and third-down conversion charge.
A passing offense that was disjointed abruptly turned explosive. Winston recorded eight completions and two touchdowns on passes that traveled no less than 15 yards downfield, in line with ESPN Analysis, together with the successful toss to Tillman. Watson had simply 9 such completions and one landing within the seven earlier video games.
“He introduced nice power,” Tillman mentioned. “Jameis stored telling us that he’ll preserve throwing it. He’ll preserve coming again to us it doesn’t matter what. He performed nice right this moment.”
Winston, the No. 1 choose within the 2015 draft, was making his first begin since Sept. 25, 2022, when he was a member of the New Orleans Saints. It did not come with out errors and scares. He misplaced a fumble on a sack late within the first half that led to a Ravens landing and put the Browns behind 10-6 at halftime. He twice averted interceptions on drops by the Ravens (5-3), together with what might have been a game-sealing interception when he overthrew wideout Elijah Moore that security Kyle Hamilton could not corral.
Winston, although, was unfazed, discovering Tillman downfield on the very subsequent play because the Ravens’ blitz was barreling down on him.
“Ken all the time talks about how we’re not going to be conservative,” Winston mentioned. “We’ll be aggressive and never conservative. And that is the way in which he preaches as an offensive coordinator. And that is what we confirmed, that is what we exemplified on the market on that subject right this moment.”
Winston, identified for being an animated determine within the Browns’ locker room, addressed his teammates in a passionate pregame speech, emphasizing the necessity to have “unwavering religion.”
And in his first begin as a Brown, Winston was unflappable, right down to his successful throw.
“I’m sure when I’m making nice selections one play at a time I’m an awesome NFL quarterback,” he mentioned after the sport. “I’m sure of that.”
