Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson didn’t throw for 400 yards and five touchdowns, but he likely did enough to earn another start.
After the win at Tampa Bay, coach Todd Monken was asked whether Watson would remain the quarterback for the Week 3 home opener against the Panthers.
“Really?” Monken said, via Zac Jackson of The Athletic. “Really? I’m gonna enjoy this win and I thought he played his ass off. I’m gonna leave it at that. I’m so happy for him.”
Watson completed 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns in the 23-19 victory over the Buccaneers. And that’s likely not nearly enough to get the Cleveland customers to let bygones be bygones for a pair of home games only four days apart — next Sunday against Carolina and the following Thursday against Pittsburgh.
Bottom line? It could get loud in Cleveland, especially if Watson struggles in seven days.
Panthers Clips
Falcons wide receiver Drake London got into a verbal altercation with a fan during the team’s 34-3 home loss to the Panthers.
Sideline cameras showed London shouting profanities to an unknown person as teammate Olamide Zaccheaus held him back.
London later told reporters that he was reacting to “personal stuff” being said to him, and he knows his reaction was “not the right thing to do.”
“I’m going to be honest here, I don’t take light to disrespect at all,” London said, via Marc Raimondi of ESPN. “I don’t care who you are. I’m a man, too, at the end of the day. So, if you want to get on a personal level, I can get there, too, but it’s not the right thing to do. So, I got to take accountability for that, and I got to push forward and be the bigger man in some of those situations.”
The Falcons have not had their top two quarterbacks, Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa, this season. They have a team passer rating of 38.2 with journeyman Cooper Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand.
London caught four passes for 51 yards after making two catches for 29 yards last week.
When asked if it was a fan he was exchanging words with, London replied, “It was somebody.”
“But with how the game was going and what was said to me, I don’t like it,” London said.
The Panthers scored 37 points and lost in Week 1, but they didn’t let a strong offensive performance go to waste this weekend.
Bryce Young threw for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the first half in Atlanta and the Panthers put the hammer down in the second half to head home with a 34-3 win over their NFC South rivals. Young’s first-half yardage was a career high and he added a third touchdown pass in the third quarter.
Young finished the day 23-of-36 for 287 yards and spread the ball around the entire offense. Tight end Darren Waller caught two touchdowns, running back Chuba Hubbard had the other while wideouts Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker combined for 167 yards on 13 catches.
The defense forced four turnovers after being torn apart by Caleb Williams and the Bears in Week 1, although any proclamations that the unit has turned the corner should probably wait until the competition goes back up. Cooper Rush fumbled at the end of a scramble on the first play of the game and then threw two interceptions before being pulled for undrafted rookie Jack Strand.
Strand’s first pass was returned for a touchdown by linebacker Devin Lloyd and the rookie finished 8-of-15 for 59 yards before losing a fumble to end his first NFL action. Lloyd also picked off Rush and had a sack in a performance that showed why the Panthers made him an offseason target in free agency.
The Falcons have a quick turnaround for a Thursday night game in Green Bay and there’s hope that Michael Penix will be able to make his first appearance of the 2026 season. Tua Tagovailoa could also be deemed healthy enough to play and the Falcons will need to find someone who can give them a better chance to win than they’ve enjoyed through the first two weeks.
The Panthers will head to Cleveland to face a Browns team that’s faced plenty of quarterback questions of its own, so the defense may have a chance to get into a groove after their rough start to the year.
The Falcons have made a quarterback change in the third quarter of Sunday’s home game against the Panthers.
Undrafted rookie Jack Strand took over after Cooper Rush threw his second interception of the game on the previous Atlanta possession. The Panthers lead 27-3 with 4:27 left to play in the third.
Rush also lost a fumble on the first play of the game, so he’s up to five turnovers through less than six quarters of the season.
The Falcons play again on Thursday night and they’ll be hoping that Michael Penix is ready to make his return from last season’s torn ACL or that Tua Tagovailoa is cleared from an oblique injury. If not, Strand may be making his first NFL start.
The Panthers defense gave up 59 points last Sunday, but things have gone better on the defensive side of the ball through 30 minutes this weekend.
Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush lost a fumble and threw an interception on the first two offensive possessions, and the Panthers also thwarted a fourth down conversion try later in the half. All of that good work allowed them to get into halftime with a 20-3 lead on the road.
Rush’s fumble led to the only Panthers touchdown of the first half. Bryce Young moved the team inside the 10-yard-line with a third down strike to wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and then hit running back Chuba Hubbard for a three-yard score.
A long punt return by Jalen Coker set the Panthers up in Falcons territory later in the first quarter, but the team settle for the first of three Ryan Fitzgerald field goals after their drive stalled out.
The Falcons finally got on the board with 1:07 left in the half, but Young found wide receiver Xavier Legette for a 55-yard gain to put the Panthers in scoring position. He then found tight end Darren Waller in the end zone with 20 seconds to play to extend the lead to 17 points at the break.
Young is 15-of-25 for 204 yards while Rush finished the half 9-of-14 for 80 yards. The Panthers will get the ball to open the third quarter of play in Atlanta. i1
The Falcons’ hopes for a fast start were dashed right out of the gate on Sunday.
Quarterback Cooper Rush scrambled on their first offensive play and then lost the ball while being tackled by Panthers linebacker Devin Lloyd. Panthers safety Nick Scott recovered the ball to set the Panthers up on the Atlanta 35-yard-line.
The Panthers picked up a key third down on a pass to Tetairoa McMillan and then scored on a Bryce Young toss to running back Chuba Hubbard in the end zone.
The score put Carolina up 7-0 with 10:48 left to play in the first quarter. Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell needed medical help to get off the field on the Panthers’ scoring drive, which is something to monitor as the game plays out.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow called it “ridiculous” to think he might miss Sunday’s game in Houston because of back tightness and he is active for the Week 2 matchup with the Texans.
Burrow’s health became a talking point this week when he was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but he returned to full practice on Friday. The Bengals still listed him as questionable for the team’s first road game of the season.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Burrow felt normal while going through Friday’s practice, but was very sore earlier in the week. The Texans pass rush could exacerbate that soreness if they’re able to get to Burrow early in Sunday’s game.
Bengals at Texans
Bengals: WR Ke’Shawn Williams, CB Josh Newton, OL Connor Lew, DL BJ Hill, DL Landon Robinson, QB Josh Johnson, OL Myles Hinton
Texans: TE Brevin Jordan, WR Nico Collins, LB Jake Hummel, CB Collin Wright, G Ed Ingram, OT Nate Thomas, DE Jadeveon Clowney
Panthers at Falcons
Panthers: LB Pat Jones, TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, QB Haynes King, CB Chau Smith-Wade, LB Tyrel Dodson, OT Albert Reese, DT Bobby Brown
Falcons: QB Tua Tagovailoa, QB Michael Penix, DB Billy Bowman, DB Malcolm DeWalt, OL Ethan Onianwa
Saints at Ravens
Saints: RB Kendre Miler, QB Zach Wilson, DB Decamerion Richardson, LB Isaiah Stalbird, DL Christen Miller, OL Mason Murphy, DL John Ridgeway
Ravens: QB Joe Fagnano, WR Zay Flowers, G Andrew Vorhees, OT Gerad Lichtenhan, LB Teddye Buchanan, DL Nnamdi Madubuike
Vikings at Bears
Vikings: QB Kyler Murray, WR Jauan Jennings, DB Zemaiah Vaughn, DB Jakobe Thomas, OL Nick Samac, OL Caleb Tiernan, DL Elijah Williams
Bears: QB Case Keenum, DE Jamree Kromah, DT Jayden Loving, OT Ozzy Trapilo, OL Jordan McFadden
Steelers at Patriots
Steelers: CB Joey Porter Jr., WR Michael Pittman Jr., QB Drew Allar, QB Will Howard, G Gennings Dunker, DT Kevin Jobity, DT Gabriel Rubio
Patriots: CB Carlton Davis, OT Dametrious Crownover, OT Walter Rouse, TE Tanner Arkin, DL Leonard Taylor, QB Behren Morton
Packers at Jets
Packers: CB Benjamin St-Juste, OL John Williams, OL Travis Glover, DT Warren Brinson, DT Javon Hargrave
Jets: CB D’Angelo Ponds, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, K Blake Grupe, RB Kene Nwangwu, LB Joseph Ossai, LB Trevin Wallace
Browns at Buccaneers
Browns: QB Taylen Green, LB Justin Jefferson, S Daniel Thomas, CB Toriano Pride, C Parker Brailsford, G Teven Jenkins
Buccaneers: CB Ayden Garnes, CB Jacob Parrish, G Luke Haggard, G Billy Schrauth, DL DeMonte Capehart, DL Elijah Simmons
Eagles at Titans
Eagles: QB Tanner McKee, QB Cole Payton, WR Elijah Moore, LB Jonathan Greenard, G Micah Morris
Titans: CB Cor’Dale Flott, LB James Williams, OL Atonio Mafi, OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, TE Kylen Granson, DT Jackie Marshall
When the Browns decided, two days after an all-time press-conference meltdown from Deshaun Watson, to make him the Week 1 starting quarterback, it immediately seemed to be a product of the fact that Cleveland starts the season with two games, you know, not in Cleveland.
And with the team’s Florida road trip ending today, the winds of change to Shedeur Sanders are already blowing like a Category 2 hurricane.
As Ian Rapoport of ESPNFL explains it, Cleveland will “make its evaluation” after Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers in Tampa.
Of course it will. Not even the Browns-is-the-Browns are so dysfunctional that they’d trot out Watson for a home crowd that wants nothing to do with him. Even if the Browns managed to beat the Bucs and the still-salty (always-salty, and we love it) Baker Mayfield on Sunday, it will be a very hard sell — unless Watson has one of those 400-yard, five-touchdown days that he claims the media expects from him every week.
Rapoport’s article doesn’t mention the biggest elephant in the room, when it comes to the possibility that Sanders will start next week. The customers do not want him. Period. Full stop. End of story.
Coach Todd Monken has used a restaurant metaphor to explain fan discontent. Absent a dramatic menu change before the Week 3 home opener against the Panthers, the foodstuffs will be flying from the stands next Sunday.
The Falcons have been waiting. And waiting. And waiting.
The waiting may be over.
ESPN reports that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. “is nearing a return” and “could” make his 2026 debut on Thursday night, when the Falcons travel to Lambeau Field for a Week 3 contest.
During NFL Network’s GameDay morning, Steve Wyche reported that Falcons president of football Matt Ryan said Penix is “getting close,” but he declined to put a timetable on his return.
The team has had some muted frustrations about Penix’s unwillingness to play. But he’s not yet comfortable exposing his surgically repaired left knee to contact.
Without Penix, and with Tua Tagovailoa out due to an oblique injury, Cooper Rush started in Week 1, and he’ll start in Week 2.
Through two seasons, Penix has 14 regular-season appearances and 12 starts, with four wins. After starting last season 3-2, Penix has lost four straight starts.
For now, the Falcons and Rush will face the Panthers, who won the division on the final Sunday of the 2025 season when Kirk Cousins led Atlanta to a win over the Saints.
Cooper Rush is officially set to start Sunday’s game against the Panthers, with Jack Strand as his backup.
Atlanta announced its game statuses for Week 2 and Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is out with Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) listed as doubtful.
Penix is still not ready to play after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery midway through last season. Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury during practice last week.
It was reported that Rush was expected to start earlier on Friday.
While Rush has been dealing with a back issue, head coach Kevin Stefanski said in his Friday press conference that Rush is “doing better,” but wouldn’t speculate beyond that.
As for Penix, a full participant in practice all week, Stefanski would not speculate as to whether or not he’ll be available for Week 3. The Falcons will travel to Green Bay for a Thursday night matchup.
“Again, it’s a progression,” Stefanski said. “Feel really confident in the plan, feel really confident in what we’ve done, and what Mike has done both on the field and medically. And like he’s told you, like I’ve told you — when he’s ready, he’ll be ready.”
Cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. (Achilles) has also been ruled out for Sunday.
Guard Chris Lindstrom (concussion) and cornerback A.J. Terrell (shoulder) are questionable. Terrell did not participate on Friday but Lindstrom was a full participant.
