For the Cleveland Browns, this is what they aimed for when trading for QB Deshaun Watson. Though his numbers weren’t incredibly gaudy, Watson was efficient and productive as he and the Browns easily put away the Arizona Cardinals 27-0 Sunday afternoon.
With the win, the Browns move to 5-3 on the season and remain in the AFC North race while being firmly in the mix for the AFC Wild Card race.
It helped the hapless Cardinals used this week as something of a buffer. They dealt starting QB Josh Dobbs to Minnesota for a late-round pick and with QB Kyler Murray a week away from returning off his 2022 torn ACL, the team turned to rookie Clayton Tune. A fifth-round pick out of Houston, Tune looked every bit of a Day Three rookie. He finished the day 11-of-20 for 58 yards and two interceptions. On the other end, Watson went 19-of-30 for 219 yards and two passing touchdowns while chipping in 22 yards on the ground.
After playing a scoreless first quarter, the Browns put up 13 second half points. Kicker Dustin Hopkins was true from 30 yards out to give Cleveland a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter, set up by a 59-yard completion from Watson to WR Amari Cooper. Tune was picked by CB Denzel Ward on the ensuing drive, setting the Browns up in opposing territory. They took advantage, going 11 plays to pick up 49 yards, finished off in the end zone by a Cooper 11-yard touchdown snag. It came through unconventional methods, a pass tipped underneath and shot up into the air, but Cooper tracked it and came down with the ball in the end zone. Proving that not all 11-yard touchdowns are created equal.
As the Cardinals continued to go three-and-out, the Hopkins added a 45-yard kick on the final play of the half to put Cleveland up 13-0. Arizona’s offense went seven straight drives without a non-penalty first down (they earned one due to a facemask) as Cleveland slowly added to their lead. Their next touchdown also came off a turnover. After Tune was strip/sacked by DL Shelby Harris, recovered by Myles Garrett, Watson hit TE David Njoku from five-yards out to extend the Browns’ lead to 20. Left all alone due to clear miscommunication by the Cardinals’ defense, it’s one of the easiest touchdowns you’ll see all year.
It took until 7:38 of the first quarter for the Cardinals to notch their first non-penalty first down since their opening possession. But that drive ended in a punt while the next resulted in an interception before a third was turned over on downs. Arizona finished the game with seven first downs.
RB Kareem Hunt added the team’s first rushing score of the afternoon with a three-yard touchdown. Again, Watson-to-Cooper was the catalyst, hooking up for a 49-yard gain down to the Cardinals’ three. Cooper finished the day with five grabs for 139 yards and one touchdown.
With the win, the Browns have a critical matchup next weekend when they travel to Baltimore to take on the division-leading Baltimore Ravens.
