Jameis Winston must be quick with one-liners because according to players in the huddle with him, Winston is able to inspire teammates, make them laugh, communicate the play Ken Dorsey called and shepherd everyone to the line of scrimmage then get the snap before a delay of game penalty is called. Winston threw three touchdown passes and passed for 334 yards on Oct. 27 to lead the Browns past the Ravens, 29-14, and end a five-game losing streak. He will start against the Chargers on Nov. 3 at Huntington Bank Field and keep the starting job for the rest of the season as long as he stays healthy, head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Oct. 30. “He loosens us up, but keeps us on our toes, too,” wide receiver Jerry Jeudy said Oct. 31 in the locker room in Berea. “His energy is great. The communication is great with him. He always gives his little motivational speech before the play just to keep us prepared.” Winston, selected by the Buccaneers with the first pick of the 2015 draft, signed a one-year deal with the Browns to back up Deshaun Watson. Watson suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon in a 21-14 loss to the Bengals in the seventh game. Second-year quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson replaced Watson in the Cincinnati game, but a finger injury forced him out in the fourth quarter. Winston took over, threw a touchdown pass to David Njoku and then followed that with his stellar game against the Ravens. AFC Player of the Week Jameis Winston was very fortunate Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton dropped a would-be interception that would have sunk the #Browns to 1-7. Here O.C. Ken Dorsey discusses how Winston has to be more cautious with the ball. pic.twitter.com/1rqanNB7bT — Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) October 31, 2024 The Browns are 2-6. They have not given up on making the playoffs. They trust Winston to guide them there. “I remember talking to Jameis as we were signing him or prior to signing him, don’t remember the exact time,” Stefanski said. “But Jameis is the same guy all the time, whether it’s on the phone or in person or at 5 a.m. or 5 p.m. I mean, he has a ton of energy, he’s got great enthusiasm for the game. Loves to talk football, loves to talk X’s and O’s. “I think guys respond to authenticity regardless of what it looks like or sounds like or the content of what you’re saying. I just think he’s being himself.” This is the second straight week Stefanski used the word “authentic” to describe Winston. The atmosphere in the locker room since Winston took over is similar to what it was when Joe Flacco replaced injured Watson (shoulder) late last season. “The quarterback is the leader of the team regardless of what he says or what he does or anything like that,” Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitoio said. “He plays the most important position on the team. When the quarterback brings energy and excitement and that ‘one play at a time’ mentality, I think the team has no other option but to feed off of it. Jameis Winston zips passes through the wind and rain Thursday during #Browns practice then sprints to continue the drill throwing in the opposite direction. pic.twitter.com/LThLYE6ntE — Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) October 31, 2024 “To be fair to Jameis, that’s who he’s been since Day One here, since I’m sure his whole career. He might not have been the starter, but he was always bringing that energy. But then when he’s on the field, it’s kind of with you instead of just when you go to the sideline or you go to the locker room.” The whole Winston narrative this week would have been different had Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton held onto a pass from Winston for an interception in the final two minutes to preserve a 24-23 Baltimore win. The ball hit Hamilton square in the hands, but he dropped it. That is what the Buccaneers and Saints saw from Winston in the first nine years of his career — a quarterback who would make an amazing pass one series and then turn around and make a ‘What in the world were you thinking?’ throw in the next series. Winston famously threw 33 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions with the Bucs in 2019. No other quarterback in NFL history was in the 30-30 club in the same season. “That’s a constant thing you’re harping on the quarterbacks about,” Dorsey, in his first year as Browns offensive coordinator said on  Oct. 31. “You’re constantly talking about decision making and ball placement. Ball placement is important to guarantee completions and maximizing (run after catch) opportunities for our receivers.” Winston completed 27 of 41 passes (65.8 percent) against the Ravens. He has a career completion percentage (1,796 of 2,935) of 61.2 with 145 touchdown passes and 99 interceptions. Chargers at Browns When: 1 p.m., Nov. 3 Where: Huntington Bank Field Records: Chargers 4-3, Browns 2-6 TV: WOIO Radio: WKRK-FM 92.3, WNCX-FM 98.5, WKNR-AM 850, WKKY-FM 104.7