Anthony Schwartz's TD run in Browns' win brings him relief: 'Like a weight off my chest'

CLEVELAND — Anthony Schwartz believed his Browns teammates never stopped trusting him amid his on-field struggles, and the second-year NFL wide receiver rewarded them for their support Sunday.

Schwartz’s 31-yard touchdown run on a reverse with 10:45 left in the first quarter proved to be crucial to the Browns defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-17 in overtime.

“It was kind of like a weight off my chest after that play,” Schwartz told the Beacon Journal in the home locker room at FirstEnergy Stadium. “Even though it was just one play, just being able to score, being able to do anything to help the team win, it's just a weight lifted off my shoulders. It just helped me to instill more confidence in myself, and as a team, it keeps their confidence in me.”

A third-round pick in last year's draft, Schwartz had a glaring issue with dropped passes in the preseason, and his opportunities have been scarce this season. He entered Sunday with just two catches for 22 yards on seven targets and two carries for 20 yards in nine games. He was a healthy inactive Oct. 23 in Baltimore.

“It's been tough, right?” Browns Pro Bowl right guard Wyatt Teller said. “But his ability to leave that in the past, move on and be a better player each day [is important]. He's done that.”

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski kept Schwartz in mind during the game's opening possession.

On first-and-10, Schwartz caught a pitch from running back Kareem Hunt on a reverse and knew he would score when he turned the corner on the right side. The touchdown helped the Browns (4-7) snap a two-game skid and halt the two-game winning streak of the Bucs (5-6).

“Getting the ball off the edge and then able to bend the turn, like it's a 200[-meter dash]. Especially when I have green grass like that, I'm able to open up and just show what I can do,” said Schwartz, a former world-class sprinter in track and field.

It was Schwartz’s second career touchdown. The first one came on a 5-yard reception last season in a 24-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Christmas.

“I talk to Anthony all the time,” Browns receiver Amari Cooper said of Schwartz, who caught one pass for 17 yards on two targets against the Buccaneers. “He has faith. He has belief in his abilities. He knows he has speed. He knows he has all the tools to be a really good player, and he just has to continue to persevere like the rest of us and continue to trust in his ability.

"Obviously, when you make plays, that confidence grows and grows and grows. So hopefully we all can build off of that and hopefully he can build off of that touchdown run.”

Cooper and quarterback Jacoby Brissett delivered key downfield blocks for Schwartz. Brissett even knocked down Bucs Pro Bowl safety Antoine Winfield Jr.

“I was happy Schwartz scored, but I ran up there and I just shook [Brissett],” Teller said. “I was like, 'Thank you!'”

Brissett was thankful, too, because Schwartz took his advice from earlier this season.

“Obviously, it hasn’t been the ideal, but he's a guy who has stuck with it and just continued to put in the work and continued to put in the work,” Brissett said. “We ran that play versus the Panthers, and he ran inside of me. I was like, ‘Dude, don’t do that again. Go outside.’

“He had a bunch of good plays in the game. He had a big catch that got us in good field position. He made a great special teams tackle. [He's] a guy who's just sticking with it.”

Finally, Schwartz's persistence manifested itself in a pivotal play.

“It feels really good,” he said. “It's been an up-and-down season for the team and an up-and-down season for me. Being able to contribute to a team win is just the greatest thing there is, honestly.”

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.

On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns' Anthony Schwartz relieved by touchdown run vs. Bucs