5 winners, 3 losers from Browns First Four Games of 2026

The Cleveland Browns have hit the quarter pole in the 2026 season and after the first four games, they find themselves in first place.

The Browns have gotten contributions from all sides of the ball and have won by playing complementary football. The surprise start to the season has given the Browns plenty of wins; however, the team is not without disappointments as well.

Deshaun Watson, Winner

Watson entered the season with his career on the line. If things did not go well to start, he would have gotten buried in the depth chart, leaving his NFL career to die. He looked horrible out of the gate in Jacksonville, but then turned his play around. It has not always looked like what the Browns expected when they traded for him, but he has made astounding plays in the fourth quarters of games and has led the team to three straight game-winning drives.

Quinshon Judkins, Loser

The Browns running attack has been stagnant. There have been little holes to run through, and when there are, Judkins has been slow to get to them. He is coming off a season-ending injury to his leg, so he might need more reps to get his timing back, but Judkins has not looked like the promising rookie he was last season. The offense will need to add the running dimension to their offense to continue any success.

Defensive Line, Winner

Coming into the season much was said about the lack of depth on the defensive line. In the preseason games, they were bullied and teams were getting big chunk plays. Through the quarter mark of the season, the defensive line, led by Mason Graham, has been in the backfield and rushing opposing quarterbacks. Graham went down, but the production did not.

The defensive line continued to harass the quarterback and the Browns, slowing down offenses. They are proving that they have plenty of depth by having the “next man up” mentality.

Jerry Jeudy, Loser

Jeudy came into the season looking to lead the position group while the young players adjusted to the league. He quickly got passed up as a top option by the young receivers and Harold Fannin Jr. becoming go-to targets. Jeudy made a couple of nice plays on the last drive in their last game, which may springboarded him going in the next quarter of the season.

Denzel Boston, Winner

Much was ado about Boston in training camp with his big frame and sticky hands. Boston has used his size to make big plays for the offense and has become Watson’s number one option. He has not looked like a rookie and his play-making abilities are looking like they will help the Browns for years to come.

Andre Szmyt, Winner

Every single kick has gone through the uprights and Szmyt has become a reliable kicker. When the offense has stalled Szmyt put points on the board with his leg. Time and time again, he easily hit the kicks, heavily contributing to the 3-1 start. They will need his leg going forward to win games as they will play a lot of one-score games.

Penalties, Loser

The Browns have had more laundry on the field than a college student coming home for winter break. The presnap penalties have ruined drives before they even had a chance to start. There have been false starts, illegal formations, holding, and everything in between.

The Browns had the Pittsburgh Steelers backed up on the one-yard line, when they promptly jumped offsides, giving the Steelers breathing room. They are winning in spite of the penalties, but those mistakes will eventually come to bite them against tougher teams.

The Fans, Winner

After two seasons of losing and a tumultuous offseason, the fans' frustration was boiling over. After the first game, it looked like it would be another long season and a lot of scouting for college quarterbacks. But then the Browns quickly turned it around the fans were energetic, positive, and feeding the team in their primetime win. The patience paid off in the first quarter of the season and the fans have something to cheer for in the next quarter.

They have gotten contributions across the board and the Browns will need production from a lot of different positions to continue their success.

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