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Deshaun Watson continues to take strides in Browns' offense | News & Notes

Browns are focused on improving the run game ahead of Week 3

NewsandNotesWeek3

Following two road games to start the season, the Browns will face the Panthers in their home opener at Huntington Bank Field on Sept. 27. 

The Browns tallied their first win of the season in Week 2, beating the Buccaneers 23-19 to improve to 1-1. Now, head coach Todd Monken is focused on this week and noted what his message will be to the team on Wednesday as they prepare to take on the Panthers.

"We took a giant step from Week 1 to Week 2. So that'll be the message we come back Wednesday is, 'so what, now what?' Are we willing to take that same jump?" Monken said. "What are we going to do this week to continue to improve? And we got the right guys to do it, that's what I love about our group, because they're going to be ready to go to work on Wednesday."

Here are the main pieces of news heading into Week 3.

Deshaun Watson continues to take strides in offense 

QB Deshaun Watson excelled in the second half against the Buccaneers, showcasing his versatility and effective operation of the offense. He led the Browns on two touchdown drives on their final four possessions of the game. 

Following struggles in the first half with operation, where the Browns were called for a false start, an illegal formation and two holding penalties, the offense was only flagged once in the second half. Watson noted after the win that the Browns made changes in practice in the lead up to Week 2 to improve the offense's operations, including shortening the play clock and simulating game-like substitutions.  As the Browns prepare to take on the Panthers in Week 3, Monken noted that they will continue to practice this way to further improve operation. 

"There was a difference, there really was," Monken said. "For the most part, our operation was better and it was cleaner." 

On top of his control of the offense against the Buccaneers, Monken talked about how Watson used his legs effectively. Watson finished the game with seven rushing attempts for 22 yards. On the final drive, Watson picked up a key third-and-4 by scrambling for six yards to keep the possession alive. Monken noted that Watson's mobility can continue to be an advantage for the Browns' offense this season. 

"It has to be a weapon for him and us to use his legs," Monken said. "He is athletic. He has a good feeling for that. He's asked for it. He said, 'don't be afraid to use my legs.' And so that's been a big part the first couple of weeks. And he made a number of plays with his legs, a couple of big third downs, one on a design run, one a scramble, did a nice job on a naked where we didn't get off on the snap count."

Defense shows improvement in Week 2 

The defense showed improvements against the Buccaneers, holding them to only one touchdown and keeping them out of the end zone on their final drive. Cleveland limited QB Baker Mayfield to 182 passing yards and tallied three sacks and one interception. The reasons for the improvement, according to Monken, included an increase in aggressiveness paired with execution from both the players and coaches. 

"I thought a lot of guys played within the scheme, and I do think it's a lot easier when the game's still in the balance and we didn't have such long drives," Monken said. "So, I just think that everybody did better. We coached better; we played better."

Monken also saw improvement from specific players, including DT Mason Graham and LB Carson Schwesinger. Graham recorded his second sack of the season while Schwesinger had 10 tackles and a tackle for loss. 

Monken also noticed a step up from the interior defensive line as a unit, which he believes they can continue to build off of heading into Week 3. 

"We're built for our explosive interior players to be able to win those matchups," Monken said. "And we won more of them than we did the week before. And that's going to continue because I know our guys will continue to work, and they'll continue to improve."

Todd Monken provides outlook on run game

While Cleveland mounted an impressive win over the Buccaneers with two second-half touchdowns, most of the offense's success came through the air. The Browns struggled at times to run the ball effectively against the Buccaneers, finishing with 23 attempts for 44 yards — just 1.9 yards per carry. Monken noted that the ground game is an area that they are looking to improve. 

"We have got to scheme it better, we have got to coach it better, we have got to call it better, and we certainly can block it better," Monken said. "We had a few other opportunities out there that we left on the field, but it's not good enough."

RB Quinshon Judkins has carried the ball 24 times for 54 yards through two games this season. Against the Buccaneers, he had 12 rushing attempts for 21 yards. Judkins believes that continuing to build chemistry, including with the five new starting offensive linemen that the Browns added during the offseason, will help heading into the matchup with the Panthers and the rest of the reason. 

"I don't get discouraged by it," Judkins said. "And (I'm) just continuing to put my best foot forward."

Browse action photos from the Browns' 2026 Week 2 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, featuring top plays and moments.

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