Browns found a spark with Jameis Winston, now a difficult decision looms

They say winning cures everything. It certainly felt that way on Sunday.

A 29-24, upset victory over the Baltimore Ravens was enough to bring many smiles in the room Cleveland Browns Dressing room. It was the first time in a long time that the locker room didn’t feel like a funeral. The win was also enough to reunite Browns fans and players, following controversy over how some fans reacted to it Deshaun Watson‘s season-ending injury a week earlier.

Suddenly, everything is rainbows and butterflies in Cleveland again – as far as the city’s football team is concerned. It helps when that controversial quarterback isn’t there, making supporting the team a moral dilemma.

In his absence, experienced backup James Winston brought the same pathetic offense that took the field to new heights for seven straight weeks. He completed 27 of his 41 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns, led a game-winning drive in the final two minutes of play, unlocked wide receivers that didn’t exist, and — most importantly — earned the Browns a second win this season.

In the last seven Browns games with starting QBs not named Deshaun Watson, those quarterbacks have thrown for more than 300 yards five times. If a season-ending Achilles injury didn’t end Watson’s time in Cleveland, these numbers certainly do.

There was just a different energy at Huntington Bank Field in Week 8. From the players on the field. For the fans in the stands. Now, armed with a second win and a competent attack, some hope has been restored for a season considered lost by most.

Is it Real lost anyway?

That’s the biggest question looming for the Browns in the coming week. The Browns play one more game, at home against the Los Angeles Chargersbefore the trading deadline on Election Day. Then a bye week awaits them, where they will have a chance to get players on their feet and get healthy for the final part of the season.

A week ago I was 1-6 on the season. there was agreement that the Browns would likely be sellers at the deadline. Trading certain pieces and parts to make picks for next April’s draft. And while getting to 2-6 doesn’t change much, Cleveland’s brass could very well talk themselves into making a magical run after the bye week — similar to the one sparked by the team’s Hail Mary quarterback change last year with Joe Flacco.

What remains is a much tougher schedule than what Flacco had in 2023. But if the offense and defense can complement each other like they did in Sunday’s win over Baltimore, the Browns can win every football game they play.

The biggest problem is that the team’s margin for error is enormous. If you lose six of your first seven games, that’s what happens. And while Winston clearly provided a nice spark for the team, his gun-toting style of play isn’t necessarily conducive to winning football games for a team that needs to be close to perfect the rest of the way.

Even in the win, Winston took advantage of some lucky bounces, most notably a botched interception by the safety Kyle Hamilton on Cleveland’s game-winning touchdown drive. Winston was given a second chance to win the match and took advantage of it. That won’t always be the case, however, as the quarterback is best known — aside from his lively, viral pre-game speeches — for a season of 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions during his time with the Buccaneers.

It’s a tough world to operate in as Andrew Berry and company are Browns vice president of football operations. Names like DE Za’Darius SmithCB Greg Nieuwsom II, W Elijah Mooreeven Winston could all provide Cleveland with varying levels of draft capital if the goal is to plan for next year.

At the same time, though, head coach Kevin Stefanski must try not to lose a locker room full of veterans who expected this season to culminate in a playoff run. Trading any of those guys, but especially Winston after his impressive performance against Baltimore, would certainly suggest the opposite. Threading that needle can be very difficult.

And so that sets the stage for what is now the biggest game of the season in Week 9. A win over the Chargers would put the Browns at 3-6 heading into their bye week. A challenging schedule, with four more division games, some tough road trips and the Leaders wait on the other side. But as Joel Bitonio said in the locker room after Sunday’s win, quoting Kevin Millar of the 2004 Boston Red Sox, “why not us?”

Cleveland is a city of eternal hope. If you give this fanbase even an inch of faith, they’ll take another mile. Another win, and the Browns organization might lean even more heavily on that hope.