Jameis

Winston

Winston set a career high with 497 yards, which also now stands as a Browns franchise record for pass yards in a regular season game. To ensure we got the full Jameis experience, he also threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. The second pick-six came with under two minutes to play with the team down by two points while his final pick came on the following possession after a defensive pass interference penalty gave the Browns the ball at the two yard line. Even so, it was a remarkable performance from the veteran signal caller that is playing this season a one-year deal. Up next for Winston and the Browns are the Steelers on the road in Week 14.

Winston also lost a fumble in what can only be described as a “wild one.” With the snow starting early and turning into a swirling storm by the second half, the teams needed to get their points in early. So naturally they entered the final frame with just 16 combined tallies before going off for 27 in the fourth. Unfathomably, the fourth was where Winston both lost his fumble and tossed his interception, but the Steelers were even more determined to lose. Frankly, both teams seemed determined to lose with comical clock mismanagement late. Between the miscues, Winston kept sticking big throws to Jerry Jeudy, and survived some horrid drops by his seam stretchers. Winston has made the Browns more watchable while creating fantasy excitement, but he’s now in the midst of a brutal stretch of schedule, including the Broncos in Week 13. With no teams on bye for Thanksgiving week, we won’t be streaming Winston.

The Browns were once again ultra pass-heavy in Week 11, with 46 pass attempts and just 18 rushes. Winston had 299 yards at halftime and could have had a much bigger day had the Browns offense not faltered in the final three drives of the game. Winston nearly connected for a couple long gains after the Browns entered catch-up mode. Winston, with more than 300 yards in two of his three starts, has become a reliable fantasy option and a major boon for the Browns’ main pass catchers. In Week 11, he bounced back from a three-interception game in the Browns’ last game against the Chargers. Winston will be a volume-driven QB2 play in Week 12 against a tough Steelers coverage unit.

Winston crashed back to earth in Week 9, throwing for 235 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions in the Browns’ loss to the Chargers. A Week 8 win over the Ravens in which he threw for 334-3-0 has likely bought him some good grace with the team, but the Browns shouldn’t be in a hurry to pivot to Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who has a career line of 522-1-6 on 136 pass attempts. Winston gets a plus fantasy matchup in Week 11 against the Saints, who he spent the previous four seasons with. He’s a high-risk, high-reward QB2.

Winston’s lone highlight was a picture perfect throw to Cedric Tillman in the corner of the end zone late in the fourth quarter. Beyond that, it was ugly. His three picks might have been six if Chargers defenders had hung on to poorly thrown passes to tightly covered Browns pass catchers. Winston was under pressure on seemingly every drop back, taking six sacks and barely avoiding a handful of others. Winston’s matchup is far easier in Week 10: He takes on his former team, the Saints, a defense that most recently made Bryce Young look like a viable NFL quarterback. Winston is in play for superflex purposes next week.

Well, yeah, that will happen when Winston throws for 334 yards and three touchdowns in leading an upset win. Dorian Thompson-Robinson rosterers will have to go back to the drawing board. This is not surprising and the fantasy ceiling for every Browns skill player goes up demonstrably with Winston leading the charge for the Browns. That said, Week 9 against the Chargers figures to be a tough defensive matchup for the Browns.

The Jameis Winston Experience was on full display in Sunday’s win over the Ravens. Making his first start since 2022, Winston completed 12 passes of 10-plus yards on the day and put up three scores against a Ravens secondary that was short Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins. His first touchdown came on a 23-yard pass to a leaping David Njoku, while his last two passes came on distances off 22 and 38 yards to Cedric Tillman. Winston saw at least three would-be-interceptions bounce off the hands of Ravens defenders and lost a fumble late in the second quarter after being sacked by Kyle Hamilton. The Browns scored 20-plus points for the first time this season and will now look to repeat that performance in Week 9 against the Chargers. Winston will be a mid-QB2 in that outing.

This is the second well-sourced reporter to say Winston will take over as Cleveland’s starter after Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles in Week 7. It could be that the Browns are only starting Winston because Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who served as Watson’s backup in Week 7, is dealing with a finger injury. Winston last week targeted David Njoku heavily and pushed the ball downfield more often than Watson did as the Browns’ starter. He represents a significant upgrade for Njoku, Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and the rest of the team’s pass catchers.

With Deshaun Watson (Achilles) out for the season, the Browns are turning to Winston for Week 8. Winston was the team’s third quarterback in Week 7, though Schultz reports Dorian Thompson-Robinson was the backup “strictly from a gameplan standpoint” for Week 7. Coming in for the final Browns offensive possession against the Bengals, Winston completed 5-of-11 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. He is a career 61.1 percent passer, with 142 touchdowns and 99 interceptions. The Browns offense has struggled this season, and Winston starting could boost pass-catchers like David Njoku, Cedric Tillman, and Jerry Jeudy. However, fantasy managers should wait before inserting anyone but Njoku or Nick Chubb into fantasy lineups from the Cleveland offense. Meanwhile, Thompson-Robinson is the likely backup for now.

While the initial imaging was negative, Thompson-Robinson will undergo an MRI to reveal the severity of the injury. The 24-year-old quarterback replaced Deshaun Watson in Week 7 after Watson suffered a ruptured Achilles, and while he did struggle when called upon, he could be inline to start for Cleveland in Week 8 against the Ravens. if Thompson-Robinson can’t go it’ll be Jameis Winston under center with Watson out for the year.