Deshaun Watson’s Return to Form for the Browns Helped More Than Just Himself

Week 2 in the NFL flipped most of the league on its head after what we thought was true after watching one week of games, turned out to be some false prophets. Many teams like the Panthers, Patriots, Saints, Broncos, and Rams bounced back to slide up to 1-1 following tough Week 1 losses.

The Cleveland Browns were another team that bounced back after an egregious Week 1 in Jacksonville, beating the Buccaneers in Tampa, 23-19. That win was headlined by the QB play from Deshaun Watson, who threw for over 230 yards and two touchdowns, and also did not turn the ball over at all.

Watson spread the ball across the field, completing passes to seven receivers, led by star rookie Denzel Boston, who caught five passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. While KC Concepcion got work on screens and bubbles, Watson’s resurgence also helped a second-year guy a lot.

Harold Fannin Week 1:

📉2 receptions (3 targets), 21 rec. yards, 13.6% target share, 73% route share, 0.095 Avg. Sep. Score

Harold Fannin Week 2:

📈5 receptions (6 targets) 54 rec. yards, 20% target share, 74% route share, 0.120 Avg. Sep. Score

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— SleeperBrowns (@SleeperBrowns) September 23, 2026

Harold Fannin Jr. popped out like we knew he could in Week 2, catching five passes for 54 yards and a long of 21. 34 of those 54 yards were after the catch on Sunday; for reference, Fannin averaged just under 23 yards after the catch per game in his rookie season.

Fannin also recorded 23 yards after contact on those receptions, shedding off tacklers like Alex Anzalone for many extra yards, always fighting forward.

Last season, Fannin was Cleveland’s leading receiver by a wide margin (129 yards), and it’s easy to forget after the many storylines going on in the Browns' season. Another factor was the QB play and the fact that he caught passes from three different quarterbacks, and not one of them was Deshaun Watson.

So these first two weeks of the season have also been Watson and Fannin's first couple of weeks playing together in live game action. They did get work together in training camp and the preseason, but nothing truly compares to regular season games when it comes to intensity.

To have a reliable tight end who just turned 22 a couple of months ago will be a huge benefit to Watson if he continues starting, or even Shedeur Sanders, who we’ve seen have a nice connection with last year.

The Cleveland receiving corps is young: Fannin, Concepcion, Boston, and Isaiah Bond are all 22 or younger, and hungry for more. The potential for this group is through the roof, and it all starts with the safety blanket at tight end, who is only getting better week to week.

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