If only someone had floated the idea of starting Jameis Winston before the season-ending injury to Deshaun Watson last week forced Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski to make a quarterback change. Oh, wait. We did do that — just about every Sunday, Monday and Wednesday for five weeks straight in news conferences with Stefanski while the offense was stuck in quicksand. Winston threw one touchdown pass to David Njoku and two to Cedric Tillman on Oct. 27 to guide the Browns to a hold-your-breath-’til-the-end 29-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens at Huntington Bank Field. Winston’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Tillman, sprinting down the middle of the field three yards behind the Baltimore secondary, with 59 seconds to play, changed a 24-23 deficit into the first lead the Browns had in the fourth quarter since they beat the Jaguars, 18-13, in the second game of the season. Kevin Stefanski wanted to win today for obvious reasons, but also so he could give a game ball to widow Cheryl Donovan and daughter Meghan to honor the passing of Jim Donovan. #Browns 29, #Ravens 24 pic.twitter.com/f6pPRgdOg5 — Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) October 27, 2024 Everything changed because Winston was the quarterback. The dark cloud that has been hanging over the Browns since the start of the season drifted out somewhere over Lake Erie. Good quarterbacks lift the players around him, and that is what Winston did. His energy flowed through the defense, special teams, and the fans. A week ago fans booed the Browns while they were losing to the Bengals. Some cheered Watson being injured. This time they stayed until the end and they stood to cheer and encourage at the end, because victory wasn’t secure until a pass from Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson from the Cleveland 24 on the final play fell incomplete in the end zone. “All the stuff that happened last week, it was an emotional week for us, but this was a fan-base win,” Winston said. “And now we have the fans back on our side.” The way the Browns attacked aggressively with offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey calling plays was noticeably different, but Stefanski was limited in the plays he called the first seven weeks because he was calling plays for Watson — not Winston. Winston is a better downfield passer. "I was starving for this opportunity," Jameis Winston said Sunday after throwing for 334 yards and three touchdowns to lead the #Browns past the #Ravens, 29-24. It was his first start since 2022 when he was with the #Saints. pic.twitter.com/WSldbLVI3r — Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) October 27, 2024 The start was Winston’s first since in 764 days dating to Sept. 25, 2022, when he played for the Saints. “I’ve been starving for this opportunity,” Winston said. “When you have a meeting with your head coach and he is certain of what he wants to do, that instills confidence in you, and that confidence resonates throughout the building.” The Browns had some luck go their way, otherwise they might be 1-7 instead of 2-6 with a renewed sense of purpose. Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman was wide open around the Cleveland 35 when a pass by Jackson on third down from the Baltimore 15 bounced off Bateman’s chest because he lost the ball in the sun. After the Ravens punted, Dustin Hopkins kicked his third field goal for a 23-17 Browns lead. A potential interception by Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton went through his hands four plays before the go-ahead touchdown pass to Tillman. Related Articles Cleveland Browns | Winston throws three TD passes as Browns stun Ravens, 29-24, to end five-game losing streak Cleveland Browns | Beloved Browns radio announcer Jim Donovan passes away Cleveland Browns | Fans who cheered Deshaun Watson’s injury are fed up with Browns’ dysfunction | Jeff Schudel Cleveland Browns | Jeff Schudel’s Week 8 NFL picks against the spread Cleveland Browns | Browns want to be more explosive vs. Ravens with Winston at quarterback “I started praying instantly,” Winston said. “It was only by the grace of God (that Hamilton didn’t catch the ball).” After the Hopkins field goal made the score 23-17, the Ravens drove 91 yards in 2 minutes, 19 seconds to take a 24-23 lead on a two-yard run by Derrick Henry. That efficient drive, and the magical things Jackson can do with the ball in his hands, caused some anxious moments for the Browns defense on Baltimore’s possession after Tillman gave the Browns the lead. The Ravens were 70 yards from the goal line with 59 seconds remaining and one timeout in their pocket. “It was electrifying,” Browns star Myles Garrett said. “I like being in games where it makes my heart race, stuff like that. When the competition rises, you have to rise to it, and stuff like that gets me going. We made the stops we needed to and kept them out of the end zone at the end of the day.” Winning fixes everything.