'It's all about being 1-0, all about keep swinging': OT win keeps Browns' season alive

CLEVELAND − The Browns vowed it's going to be the turning point. They vowed that it's just a series of one-game seasons, and there's still a lot of football left to be played.

They said all of that nearly a month ago, the last time the Browns were in their own stadium for a game. That came on Halloween night, when they bounced the Cincinnati Bengals 32-13.

The Browns were back there again on Sunday for the first time in nearly a month. They once again walked off the field a winner, this time taking down Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-17 in overtime.

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And, once again, a lot of the talk after the game was about what the Browns could still accomplish over the final six games.

"We have to view it as that," All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett said after the Browns improved to 4-7. "We have to carry that energy that we did that fourth quarter and overtime, that confidence into next game and into the next game. It was all about being 1-0, all about keep swinging, keep doing your job, and we're going to like when we come out at the end of the thing. So, no, I think everybody fell into line with that.”

There are a few things that still have to fall in line for the Browns to keep playing beyond their regular-season finale in Pittsburgh in early January. There's still a matter of having to chase down both Baltimore and Cincinnati in the AFC North standings, as well as a number of other AFC teams against whom they own virtually no tiebreakers.

However, the biggest thing the Browns have to do is what they did on Sunday. That would just be to go out on the field and win the football game.

"Had to win it," safety John Johnson III said. "We talked about going 1-0. We got that accomplished. It's a momentum game, so we're going to try and capture some."

The Browns will do so as a different football team next week in Houston. As well as Jacoby Brissett played at quarterback over the first 11 games, the day was always coming when Deshaun Watson would return from suspension and take over the quarterback role.

That moment is now. Watson officially returns from his 11-game personal conduct penalty suspension on Monday, and will get all of the No. 1 quarterback reps when the Browns practice for the first time Wednesday.

There was a world in which Watson was returning to a season that had already essentially been turned to ashes. Now, thanks to Sunday's win, it has opened the door for the possibility of his addition changing the calculus and trajectory of the Browns' season.

"I mean, Deshaun is gonna come in and be Deshaun, like I stated last week," said receiver Amari Cooper, whose 45-yard catch in overtime set up Nick Chubb's game-winning run. "We've seen that greatness on display a multitude of times. And really you kind of are who you are, you know what I mean? It's not like he's just gonna deviate from being that great player. We see it all the time, even in when he's on a practice field and, as you know, you practice how you play. So can't wait for him to get back, can't wait to practice with him, can't wait to catch some balls from him."

Nick Chubb talks the talk, walks the walk in win

Chubb generally lets his legs do the talking for him. The Browns running back, though, had to let his mouth do some talking as well.

As time was ticking down on the Browns' hopes late in regulation, Chubb spoke up.

"You don't hear Nick talk too much, but in the huddle he was like, 'Look, we've got to go,'" right guard Wyatt Teller said. "'We're winning this game. Let's go.' So I didn't know what the play call was until we got it in and then it was the same thing over again, said let's go and it worked."

Chubb helped set up the Browns' game-tying touchdown pass to David Njoku with a 28-yard run to the Tampa Bay 12 on the first play coming out of the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. That run put him over the 100-yard mark for the 28th time in his career, pushing him past Hall of Famer Leroy Kelly to No. 2 all-time in Browns history.

Chubb's 116-yard performance also pushed him over the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth consecutive season. The last Browns running back to do that was the legendary Jim Brown, who accomplished the feat from 1958-61.

As stunning as the numbers Chubb has posted are, Teller admits hearing him speak may have been as stunning as anything.

"Right? I know, I was surprised, too," Teller said. "But he was like we're gonna win, and I believed him."

Martin Emerson Jr. once again answers the call against top receiver

Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. continues to go through a baptism by fire in his rookie season. Every week, the third-round pick finds himself locked up against a No. 1 receiver, the most recent of those being Tampa Bay's Mike Evans.

Emerson wasn't on Evans the whole game, but he was on him a significant period of time. It was enough to help hold the Tampa Bay star to just two catches on nine targets for 31 yards.

“I had a lot of confidence coming in,” Emerson said. “The guys, they built my confidence, and the coaches believed in me in lining me up against Mike Evans. That’s all the motivation I needed. He’s a great player. I’m always ready for the competition. I’m ready to compete, it was fun.”

Emerson has been thrust into the starting lineup in five of the last six games due to concussion issues to first Denzel Ward and then, the last two games, Greg Newsome II. Against Tampa Bay, Emerson finished with a team-high four pass defensed.

That came all while playing against future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady.

“Earlier in the week, we were talking about how he’s been in the league for 23 years and I’m 22,” Emerson said of Brady. “He’s been playing longer than me. I’ve been watching him ever since I was growing up. It feels great to beat him.”

Donovan Peoples-Jones provide a spark in punt return game

It's been a while since the Browns truly had anything of substance in the return game, especially on punt returns. Although it wasn't much, they did find a little bit in that area from Donovan Peoples-Jones on Sunday.

Peoples-Jones came into the game averaging 6.4 yards on five punt returns on the season. He had that number of returns against the Buccaneers, averaging 15 yards a return.

The longest was a 29-yard return to the Browns 42 after Tampa Bay's opening possession of the third quarter. The Browns, though, ended up punting it back to the Buccaneers.

Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns' win over Buccaneers keeps big-picture goal alive