Jameis Winston was the third quarterback into the game for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, and he produced a touchdown drive in his only series at the helm during a 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
That might make him the first quarterback for the Browns when they play the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 27.
Cleveland’s fans have been clamoring for a change at quarterback, and now they’re going to get one – not because Kevin Stefanski is taking his cues from the crowd but because Deshaun Watson suffered an Achilles tendon injury on Sunday that the coach feared was season-ending.
“Let’s get the tests to confirm, but that’s what it looks like,” Stefanski said.
Watson got hurt with 1:22 left in the first half, and the injury drew cheers from the crowd at Huntington Bank Field. That didn’t sit well with Winston, who had something to say about the Cleveland fans who applauded Watson’s injury.
“I am very upset with the reaction to a man that has had the world against him for four years, and he put his body and life on the line for this city every single day,” Winston said. “Regardless of your perception, regardless of what you thought should happen with him, he committed every single day that I’ve been here to be the best that he can be for this team. And I know. I come from the deep South – Birmingham, Alabama; Bessemer, Alabama – so I know the standard that hungry fans want. But the way I was raised, I would never, I would never pull on a man when he’s down. But I will be the person to lift him up.
“All of us have unique experiences, all of us have circumstances, conditions and facts that we face every single day, and I pride myself on being a man of increase and being a man that wants the best out of everybody. I tell myself every morning what I want for myself, I want for everyone, and I do not want the treatment that Deshaun Watson has received from these passionate fans. I know you love this game. When I first got here, I knew these was some amazing fans. But Deshaun was treated badly, and now he has to overcome another obstacle, so I’m going to support him, I’m going to lift him up and I’m going to be there for him because I see the way he fights, I see the way that he works and I know who he is as a person and as an NFL quarterback.”
Dorian Thompson-Robinson got his first action of the season when Watson went out, but a fourth-quarter finger injury took him off the field.
Serving as the emergency third quarterback on Sunday, Winston completed 5-of-11 passes for 67 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.
The former Hueytown High School star ran the offense on the Browns’ final possession and moved Cleveland 60 yards in 12 plays for a touchdown – an 8-yard pass to tight end David Njoku with 1:27 to play. Winston completed four third-down passes on the drive. The 10-year veteran had thrown one pass in 2024 entering Sunday’s game.
Asked if Winston would be in the Browns’ lineup next week, Stefanski said: “I got to get through the injuries here.”
Winston was among the 30 players from Alabama high schools and colleges (excluding Alabama and Auburn) who got on the field on the seventh Sunday of the NFL’s 105th season.
Nine other former state players were involved in the Cincinnati-Cleveland game:
· Browns linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (Auburn High) made three tackles on defense, registered one tackle for loss and recorded one tackle on special teams.
· Browns safety Chris Edmonds (Samford) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Bengals defensive end Cedric Johnson (Davidson) was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Bengals kicker Evan McPherson (Fort Payne) made three extra points but missed from 50 yards on his only field-goal attempt.
· Za’Darius Smith (Greenville) started at defensive end for the Browns. Smith made two tackles, recorded one sack and registered two quarterback hits. Smith’s fourth sack of 2024 was the 64th of his career.
· Cam Taylor-Britt (Park Crossing) started at cornerback for the Bengals. Taylor-Britt made seven tackles.
· Browns wide receiver Kadarius Toney (Blount) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Browns linebacker Nathaniel Watson (Maplesville) was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Browns defensive end Alex Wright (Elba, UAB) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
In the other Sunday games:
Jacksonville Jaguars 32, New England Patriots 16
· Patriots center Jake Andrews (Stanhope Elmore, Troy) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Jaguars defensive end DJ Coleman (Jacksonville State) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Josh Hines-Allen (Abbeville) started at defensive end for the Jaguars. Hines-Allen made two tackles.
· Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (Enterprise, Troy) broke up a pass and returned a punt 8 yards.
· Patriots safety Dell Pettus (Sparkman, Troy) did not record any stats.
Seattle Seahawks 34, Atlanta Falcons 14
· Darnell Mooney (Gadsden City) started at wide receiver for the Falcons. Mooney had five receptions for 46 yards.
· Falcons linebacker Monty Rice (James Clemens) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Seahawks outside linebacker Jamie Sheriff (South Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Buffalo Bills 34, Tennessee Titans 10
· Bills defensive tackle Tylan Grable (Jacksonville State) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Bills linebacker Nicholas Morrow (Huntsville) did not record any stats.
· Bills defensive end Javon Solomon (Troy) did not record any stats.
Green Bay Packers 24, Houston Texans 22
· Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (Clay-Chalkville) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Tank Dell (Alabama A&M) started at wide receiver for the Texans. Dell returned two punts for 24 yards.
· Tytus Howard (Monroe County, Alabama State) started at right offensive tackle for the Texans.
· Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter (American Christian) was designated as a game-day inactive. A shoulder injury kept Lassiter out of the lineup.
· Packers offensive tackle Kadeem Telfort (UAB) did not record any stats.
· Texans safety Jimmie Ward (Davidson) was designated as a game-day inactive. A groin injury kept Ward out of the lineup.
Indianapolis Colts 16, Miami Dolphins 10
· Dolphins wide receiver Grant DuBose (Park Crossing, Miles) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Dolphins defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr. (Murphy) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Tyreek Hill (West Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Dolphins. Hill had a 4-yard reception and a 5-yard run.
· Dolphins cornerback Siran Neal (Eufaula, Jacksonville State) made one tackle on special teams.
Detroit Lions 31, Minnesota Vikings 29
· Lions defensive tackle Brodric Martin (Northridge, North Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible play.
· Vikings defensive back Bobby McCain (Oxford) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens (Spain Park) dressed for the game but did not play.
Philadelphia Eagles 28, New York Giants 3
· Reed Blankenship (West Limestone) started at safety for the Eagles. Blankenship made four tackles.
· Eagles defensive back James Bradberry (Pleasant Grove, Samford) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Cor’Dale Flott (Saraland) started at cornerback for the Giants. Flott made one tackle before leaving because of a groin injury.
· Giants offensive tackle Chris Hubbard (UAB) was designated as a game-day inactive. New York signed Hubbard on Friday off the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad.
· Eagles defensive end Bryce Huff (St. Paul’s Episcopal) made two tackles, recorded one sack and registered two quarterback hits. Huff had his first full sack of 2024 after he registered 10 last season.
· Rakeem Nunez-Roches (Central-Phenix City) started at defensive tackle for the Giants. Nunez-Roches made six tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.
Los Angeles Rams 20, Las Vegas Raiders 15
· Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah (Homewood) did not record any stats.
· Jakorian Bennett (McGill-Toolen) started at cornerback for the Raiders. Bennett made four tackles.
· Raiders quarterback Carter Bradley (South Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Darious Williams (UAB) started at cornerback for the Rams. Williams made three tackles.
Washington Commanders 40, Carolina Panthers 7
· Michael Jackson (Spain Park) started at cornerback for the Panthers. Jackson made four tackles.
· Panthers tight end Jordan Matthews (Madison Academy) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves (South Alabama) made one tackle on special teams and forced a fumble. Carolina recovered the fumble, which came on a third-quarter kickoff.
· Commanders offensive tackle Trent Scott (Lee-Huntsville) did not record any stats.
Kansas City Chiefs 28, San Francisco 49ers 18
· Forty-Niners cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. (South Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive. A pelvis injury kept Luter off the field.
· Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross (Central-Phenix City) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Chiefs wide receiver Montrell Washington (Samford) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Pittsburgh Steelers 37, New York Jets 15
· Steelers cornerback Zyon Gilbert (Jeff Davis) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Steelers linebacker Jeremiah Moon (Hoover) made one tackle on special teams.
· Steelers running back La’Mical Perine (Theodore) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (Hoover) had five receptions for 111 yards and one touchdown. Pickens’ second 100-yard game of the season and eighth of his career included an 11-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Russell Wilson as Pittsburgh cut New York’s lead to 15-13 with 27 seconds left in the first half.
· Steelers punter Corliss Waitman (South Alabama) averaged 46.0 yards on four punts, with a 45.0-yard net. Waitman had a 43-yard punt that was muffed and went out of bounds at the New York 18-yard line, a 55-yarder returned 4 yards to the New York 21, a 51-yarder for a fair catch at the New York 13 and a 35-yarder downed at the New York 7.
· Steelers wide receiver Quez Watkins (Athens) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Quincy Williams (Wenonah) started at linebacker for the Jets. Williams made five tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.
Week 7 started on Thursday night, when the Denver Broncos defeated the New Orleans Saints 33-10.
Week 7 concludes on Monday, when the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers square off at 7:15 p.m. CDT at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, and the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals meet at 8 p.m. at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. ABC and ESPN will televise the Ravens-Bucs game, and ESPN+ will televise the Chargers-Cardinals game.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
