Deshaun Watson ran for a touchdown and threw for another, and Cleveland’s defense bottled up Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow — the NFL’s new highest-paid player — as the Browns opened the season with a 24-3 win over the Bengals on Sunday.
Watson bolted for a 13-yard TD late in the first half, making the kind of dynamic play the Browns (1-0) envisioned when they signed him to a $230 million contract in 2022. He missed 11 games last season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
Watson is in uniform from the start this season, and his presence has Cleveland expecting big things.