Deshaun Watson rallies Browns to a field goal in final seconds to beat the Steelers

A little more than a month ago, Cleveland Browns fans booed Deshaun Watson, and Watson shot back at the fans. It was the low point of a toxic relationship. On Thursday night, Browns fans weren't booing. Watson came through when it mattered as he did in each of the Browns' previous two games. After Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers scored a touchdown and 2-point conversion to tie Thursday night's game in the final two minutes, Watson had a shot to make up for what to that point had been a rough second half. Watson completed enough passes to get kicker Andre Szmyt close enough to try a 56-yard field goal, and he hit it with 10 seconds left to give the Browns a 27-24 win. Cleveland is 3-1 and in sole possession of first place in the AFC North, at least for a few days. "It was electric. It was amazing. This is what it's all about," Watson told Amazon Prime Video after the game. "Nights like this, in Cleveland, in front of our home fans, getting them Ws, getting them wins, this is what it's all about."In the Browns' second preseason game Watson struggled, was booed, then said it was disrespectful of Browns fans to do so. That seemed like it could be the end of a tumultuous relationship. But the Browns stuck with Watson, even though there were plenty of reasons to move on. Now the Browns are 3-1, with three straight wins, and nobody is talking about benching Watson. Browns dominate first halfThe Steelers scored first, and then the Browns took over the rest of the half. Cleveland was moving the ball at will on Pittsburgh. Watson had what might have been the best half he has had with the Browns. He completed 14 of 17 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown in the first half. His 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Harold Fannin Jr. gave the Browns a 21-7 lead. Watson was in control. He was spreading it around but mostly finding a talented pair of rookie receivers. Second-round draft pick Denzel Boston had 74 yards on three catches in the first half and first-round pick KC Concepcion had 58 yards on four catches.Since the Browns' oft-maligned trade for Watson in 2022, the offense has rarely looked good. Cleveland has suffered through so many bad quarterbacks through the years, the first half had to be unrecognizable to Browns fans. Of course, the struggles of the Steelers' defense played its part in that. At one point Amazon Prime Video showed T.J. Watt making the unusual move of grabbing a headset from an assistant on the sideline and then was in a heated discussion with the coaches up in the press box. Getting picked apart by Watson was driving Watt and the Steelers mad. Pittsburgh's defense was much better in the second half. Browns stall, Steelers get back in itWatt tried to get the Steelers back in the game in the third quarter. He had a great play to strip Watson on a run-pass option and recovered the fumble himself. But his offense couldn't move the ball and punted after a sack. A great challenge by the Steelers' coaches in the fourth quarter got Pittsburgh back in the game. The Steelers got an interception downfield but there was clear defensive pass interference. Pittsburgh challenged, saying linebacker Jack Sawyer tipped Watson's pass. When a pass is tipped, there can be no pass interference afterward. The replay review showed the ball was tipped, so not only was the pass interference penalty wiped out but the interception stood. The Steelers drove down after that pick and scored their first touchdown since the first drive of the game, on a nice Rodgers pass to tight end Darnell Washington. The Steelers didn't get the 2-point conversion but trailed just 21-16.The Browns finally got their first points of the second half on a field goal, pushing the lead to eight points. The Steelers punted quickly but downed a punt at the 1-yard line. Watson had Fannin wide open for what would have been a key first down but he missed him badly and Cleveland punted. Rodgers had 3:32 to get the Steelers a touchdown and 2-point conversion. Rodgers immediately completed a couple of passes to get into Browns territory, and then another pass to DK Metcalf got Pittsburgh to the 12-yard line. Rodgers kept throwing jump balls to Washington and finally on fourth down they drew a penalty to keep the drive alive. The next play, tight end Pat Freiermuth caught a touchdown. The Steelers went for 2 and the tie, and after an offsides penalty Rodgers got in on a sneak to even up the game. Watson moved the Browns into field-goal range, but took a sack that pushed Cleveland back a bit. Then he had a terrible third-down pass, and that left Szmyt to attempt a 56-yard field goal with 15 seconds left. Szmyt hit it. Rodgers' ensuing desperate pass downfield was picked off and the Browns had the win. "Just belief, hope, determination," Watson said, when asked on Amazon Prime Video what he sees in his teammates. "Those guys look at me and they want me to lead the ship. I just told them, 'Believe in me, do what I ask and I'm going to make a play when the opportunity comes.'"The Browns are on a roll. Nobody expected Watson to be leading a first-place team after four weeks of the season.