CLEVELAND — The full Jameis Winston experience includes wild twists, unforeseen turns, aggressive throws and generally extended thoughts that are sometimes interrupted by another one of his thoughts, the latter of which applies both to Winston’s postgame interviews and occasionally to the process of him scanning the field before winding up to launch.
The Cleveland Browns received that full Winston experience on Sunday — maybe even more of it than was previously advertised or generally assumed. It ended in smiles, rap lyrics, answered prayers and the long-awaited end of a miserable five-game losing streak.
Fully buckled in and ready to ride Winston’s strong right arm, the Browns threw bombs, haymakers and enough counter-punches to dodge and defeat the Baltimore Ravens, 29-24, in a game that was unlike any of Cleveland’s previous seven this season in multiple ways.
Winston was decisive, confident and overall a little wild. But he threw more than a few beauties in the face of constant Baltimore blitzes, none bigger or more impressive than the 38-yarder down the middle of the field to Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds remaining that became the game winner. It was Tillman’s second touchdown of the day and Winston’s third, and it came after Winston had somehow avoided what looked to be a crippling interception on the play before.
JAMEIS GOING FOR IT ALL!
📺: #BALvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/hAZ6Y2r9px— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024
A week after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture and the Browns moved Winston from emergency inactive quarterback to man of the hour, Winston made his first NFL start in 25 months. He finished 27-of-41 for 334 yards and three touchdown passes, posting the 29th 300-yard game of his 81-start career. Afterward, he laughed, preached and presented himself as supremely confident.
“When Coach (Kevin) Stefanski told me I was starting quarterback (last week), I (knew) this offense was sitting on a big game,” Winston said. “Like, I knew it. Honestly, you could see it with Deshaun … in his last game. This offense was starting to roll, and we just picked up where it left off.”
Winston was adamant that neither his routine nor his mindset would change with his promotion, and his teammates and coaches say Winston’s energy never changed. So although Winston easily could have had a multi-interception day and lost a fumble to a blitzer he never saw coming late in the first half, he kept moving forward. The league’s worst third-down team over the season’s first seven weeks with a conversion rate of 23.7 percent converted 8-of-15 versus the Ravens.
All three of Cleveland’s second-half touchdown drives started with the Browns trailing, and two of them were capped by throws to Tillman, who entered the day with no NFL touchdowns.
“I am certain when that I am making great decisions one play at a time, I am a great NFL quarterback,” Winston said. “I am certain of that.”
Certainly lucky, too. Winston sailed one over the head of Elijah Moore and into the hands of Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton on the last drive. It should have been a game-ending interception. Instead, Hamilton juggled the ball and eventually dropped it. The Browns, previously given new life by Winson’s confident throws and live arm, were given new life by one of the NFL’s best young defenders somehow failing to catch a pass that was right in his lap. Winston found Tillman in the middle of the field on the next play, running well behind Ravens safety Eddie Jackson.
“Oh, I started praying instantly,” Winston said of the near-interception. “It was only by the grace of God (that it was dropped). And I think when situations like that happen, you always sit back and you’re like, ‘Man, I still got stuff to work on,’ right? Because it could have been a matter of whatever. Who knows how we would feel right now if that would have happened? But I’m so grateful that that was an ‘if.’
“And ‘ifs’ and ‘shoulds’ and ‘would’ve, could’ve’ don’t mean nothing in this game.”
On the field not long after Lamar Jackson’s final Hail Mary pass was swatted away, Winston interviewed with CBS. He spoke of his “unwavering faith, ultimate belief” in himself and his teammates. He thanked the Browns’ offensive and defensive lines for producing a winning effort. Then he quoted Eminem from the song “Lose Yourself” for his focus on making the most of his latest chance to be an NFL starter.
“There’s a white boy from Detroit that I really admire named Eminem,” Winston said. “And he said, ‘You only get shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity lasts once in a lifetime.”
Yep, those are the lyrics that helped the song win an Academy Award and two Grammys. It was produced in 2002, which is the year Kelly Holcomb set the record for most yards by a Browns quarterback making his first start with 326. Winston broke that record on Sunday. He probably became the first Browns quarterback to quote Eminem in a postgame national TV interview, but that one is difficult to confirm.
“We’ve seen the big games before from Jameis,” Browns Pro Bowl guard and team captain Joel Bitonio said. “He’s always capable of throwing four touchdowns. He can lead the league in touchdowns and lead the league in interceptions. That’s kind of his style of play. He’s so good at compartmentalizing. He’s on to the next play.”
Bitonio praised Winston’s ability to stay calm, something the O-lineman said is extra impressive because Winston is always talking — to the point that the quarterback sometimes tells the huddle to “stick with me here” because he knows he’s prone to ramble.
“It’s not even crazy stuff. He just doesn’t stop talking,” Bitonio said. “It’s always positive. He just keeps going.”
There’s rarely calm around the 2-6 Browns, who confusingly stuck with Watson when he was healthy despite repeated offensive struggles and relentless blitzing from opponents. And there wasn’t calm in the leadup to the week. On Wednesday, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski announced he was handing over play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey after the Browns failed to reach 20 points in any of their first seven games and only reached 300 yards in garbage time with Winston forced into action last week.
“(Dorsey) talks about how we’re not going to be conservative,” Winston said. “Aggressive, not conservative. That’s what he preaches.”
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What Winston orchestrated Sunday was totally different than previous versions of the Browns’ offense. The run game helped. The offensive line held up. Dorsey, quite obviously, dialed up plays that Winston liked. And both Moore and Tillman seemed like completely different players as Winston — from the Browns’ first series to the last — threw quickly as the blitz closed in and was unafraid to push the ball downfield.
“That last drive I think they brought a zero (full blitz) four or five times,” Bitonio said. “Jameis was ready.”
Tillman had seven catches for 99 yards and two scores. In the season’s first six games, he had three catches for nine yards. Moore had eight catches for 85 yards. He previously had two six-reception games, but he hadn’t gone over 44 yards. Winston averaged 10 yards per target on the day, and at least for now, the Browns can say they have an offense with enough explosion and playmakers that they won’t go away quietly.
At some point, the ifs and shoulds and woulds of the first seven games might make for some painfully interesting conversations. But on this day, there was mostly celebration about four beautiful throws on a memorable final drive living because one awful pass was dropped by Hamilton.
That’s the full Winston experience. There’s nothing quiet about it.
(Photo of Jameis Winston and Cedric Tillman: Ken Blaze / Imagn Images
