Cleveland Browns vs Carolina Panthers NFL Week 3 Live Updates, Highlights and Analysis

To be clear, there are things the Browns need to clean up.

The run game was better against Carolina than in the first two games of the season, but the Panthers were allowing over 200 yards per contest on the ground. The Browns had 132--and 45 of that was Deshaun Watson.

The offense can't disappear for an entire quarter, and that offense needs to do a better job challenging defenses down the field.

And the penalties. Dear God the penalties--12 more in Week 3. That cannot continue.

But the Browns have played excellent defense the past two games. The team showed real resilience after squandering their lead Sunday. And the jeers have turned to cheers for Watson.

Are the Browns a playoff team? That may be pushing it. But they have exceeded expectations and then some headed into a primetime game Thursday against the rival Steelers.

See you dawgs then!

Bryce Young gets pressured again, his arm gets whacked as he releases it, Ronnie Hickman picks it off and this one is a wrap.

Browns move to 2-1 with a 21-18 victory.

That's right. 2-1.

Someone explain to me why Todd Monken went for it on fourth-and-one as opposed to kicking an easy field goal that would put the team up six.

Explain it to me like I'm five.

Have a DAY young man!

Two sacks Sunday. Four for the season.

Is that good? It sounds good.

Deshaun Watson takes a wicked shot and delivers one of his own--a 14-yard strike to Harold Fannin Jr. for his second score of the day.

Two-point attempt to Denzel Boston is successful.

Browns 21, Panthers 18.

1:48 to play.

Come on, defense!

With the Browns driving, Deshaun Watson took a nasty hit that left him prone on the turf.

Roughing the passer gives the Browns a first down at the Carolina 15, Watson leaves the field for one play and returns.

Two-minute warning.

The answer to my last question was an emphatic, "no."

After Cleveland's offense finally showed a pulse, the defense promptly rolled over--Carolina strolled 72 yards in six plays for their first touchdown of the game.

4:25 to play--and the Browns have to score a touchdown.

Credit to the Browns for showing some guts.

Credit to Denzel Boston for showing up (finally)

Cleveland drives 44 yards in seven plays to retake the lead.

Now can the defense hold?

The Cleveland defense continues to try to keep the team in a game where the offense has done nothing in the second half. But Ryan Fitzgerald's fourth field goal gives Carolina the lead.

Cleveland had eight yards of offense in the third quarter and did not complete a pass.

Well, another three-and-out.

Missed throws.

A penalty (of course).

Cleveland's offense has been non-existent in the second half.

The Cleveland defense is doing its part in this game, forcing yet another field goal after holding on yet another third-and-short.

Now if the offense could do anything.

Starting to hear the boos.

Have you seen this man?

He's 6'4", 215 pounds. 22 years old.

His name is Denzel Boston.

If you see him, kindly remind him that his game started a while ago.

Two drives.

Six plays.

Two yards.

Zero first downs.

Sigh.

Need an overhead view, man!

Want to see what the formation was!

Turnover.

Field goal.

Three and out.

Not great.

Fumbling the second-half kick was a very Cleveland thing to do.

But Cleveland's defense holds again, and three plays later the Panthers have to settle for a field goal.

The Good

Outside the final drive of the half, the Browns played excellent defense--the Panthers had just 113 yards of offense.

The Bad

Cleveland struggled to generate any vertical offense--Deshaun Watson averaged a miserable 3.8 yards per attempt in the first half.

The Ugly

Ten penalties for 74 yards is a bad game. It's an atrocious half.

Penalties reared their ugly head again--the Panthers were gifted over 30 yards by Cleveland--but a third-down sack by Isaiah McGuire holds Carolina to a short field goal.

The Browns remain their own worst enemy.

What is happening?

The Browns take advantage of great field position and take it 40 yards in seven plays before Deshaun Watson finds tight end Harold Fannin Jr. from two yards out on fourth down.

Cleveland is flat-out out-playing Carolina.

For reals.

We won't get into the fact that a 17-yard run is the team's longest of the season.

We're all about positivity as a fanbase, after all.

OK, so it may have had as much to do with a questionable decision and an equally questionable play call (just run the danged ball), but Carolina's decision to for it from their own 40 backfires.

The Browns get great field position--again.

Now turn it into six points.

The Browns couldn't take full advantage of the field position afforded them by Mason Graham's big fourth-down sack, but the team got close enough for a 47-yard Andre Szymt field goal.

For the first time this season, Cleveland has a first-half lead.

After being drafted fifth overall in 2025, defensive tackle Mason Graham had half a sack as a rookie.

His fourth-down takedown of Bryce Young gives Graham three in less than 2.5 games this season.

Someone's lightbulb came on.

13 plays. Almost nine minutes off the clock. All the penalties ever.

And one very unhappy head coach.

Still scoreless after a promising drive is smothered by two tons of yellow fabric.

Penalties have been a major issue for the Browns this year--and they continued to be on Sunday.

The Browns were driving and had a third-and-one in Panthers territory before back-to-back false starts left the team with third-and-long.

The Browns got a chunk back on a third down dump-off, but the team faces an unnecessary fourth-down call as the first quarter winds down.

Unforced errors kill momentum--and cost teams games.

You bunch of lunatics.

Don't ever change.

It's still early, but so far at least the Cleveland defense has come to play.

The Browns are stuffing the run well and forcing Carolina into third-and-long. Once again the Panthers pick up one first down before having to punt the ball away.

Edge-rusher Jared Verse has gotten some early pressure--a welcome sight after he was mostly invisible the first two games.

The good news is that Deshaun Watson showed off excellent mobility on Cleveland's first offensive series, picking up a pair of first downs with his legs.

The bad news is that Watson is scrambling around because the Browns' offensive line looks like five matadors.

Ole!

Depth in the defensive backfield was already an issue for the Browns. With cornerback Tyson Campbell (ankle/hip) inactive, it will be interesting to see what impact that has on the defense.

Early on at least, said defense looks good--aided by a couple of Carolina penalties, the Panthers picked up one first down before being forced to punt.

We'll see how many misfires it takes for the positive vibes to go out the window.

With that said, Deshaun Watson earned the right to be out there with an impressive performance last week in Tampa--after reports surfaced that morning that he was playing for his job.

That's going to be a weekly thing for Watson the rest of the way. It just is.

If having arguably the best running back the Browns have had since the AFL/NFL merger in the house doesn't get Quinshon Judkins going, nothing will.

There was a time Chubb was the best pure runner in the NFL. His body just wouldn't let him play.

We won't forget ya, Nick.