ESPN's Prediction for Browns-Panthers Game Will Not Make Cleveland Fans Happy

The Cleveland Browns host the Carolina Panthers in Week 3 in their home opener. 

Cleveland is coming off a great win in Week 2 against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the first win of the Todd Monken era and Deshaun Watson played well. 

However, ESPN believes the Panthers will beat the Browns in Week 3. Here is the breakdown:

Pam Maldonaldo: Panthers 23, Browns 16

Eric Moody: Panthers 24, Browns 17

Seth Walder: Panthers 30, Browns 21

Watson is the first starting QB to lead a fourth-quarter comeback to snap a six-plus-game personal losing streak since Justin Fields last season with the New York Jets.

Heading into Week 3, Watson rose several spots on NFL.com's QB rankings after his Week 2 outing. He went from No. 32 to No. 26. 

Watson has 443 passing yards and three passing touchdowns through two games. He has one interception and is completing 76.9% of his passes. The three-time Pro Bowler missed the entire 2025 season recovering from the Achilles tendon tear he suffered in 2024.

"Every week I'm getting more confident and more comfortable with myself," Watson said. "Like I told the team, I feel good. I'm healthy. I trust the work that I've put in the last two years and [if] you got to put the ball in my hands, I'm ready for it. So whatever we got to do to make the team win and keep the guys moving, I'm ready for it."

Will Watson be booed or cheered by the home fans in Week 3? That's the question everyone who covers the Browns is asking. 

No one knows, but Watson is just controlling what he can control at this point.

“I'm just happy we got the win,” Watson said. “I'm right where I'm supposed to be. I'll leave the journey in God's hands and let the outcome be the outcome.”

Monken may have benched Watson for Shedeur Sanders in Week 3 had Watson struggled in Week 2. However, Watson came through in the clutch and led the Browns to their first win since January.  

“I'm so happy for him,” Monken said of Watson. “Good for him. Good for 22 months working his (tail) off to get to where he's at. I'm gonna leave it at that.”

Browns fans may still boo Watson in the home opener. After all, two dozen women accused Watson of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions and Watson is just 10-11 as Cleveland's starting QB.

However, for one day, things went well for Watson and the Browns and we haven't been able to say that in a long, long time. 

The Panthers have one of the hottest offenses in the NFL, so the Browns' defense is in for a tough test in Week 3. 

Carolina QB Bryce Young has 648 passing yards and six touchdown passes through two games. The Panthers scored 59 points in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears and 34 in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons.

Watson enters the Browns-Panthers game with 18,347 passing yards, 126 passing touchdowns, 49 interceptions, 2,202 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns with Houston and Cleveland. His starting record is 38-36-0.

Watson will have an opportunity to turn any boos into cheers with another strong outing in Week 3. A bad outing, though, and the fans will be quick to let him hear it, the same way they did in the preseason against the Buffalo Bills. 

Watson made it clear on Wednesday that despite the tumultuous relationship between him and the Browns' fan base, he wants no beef with them.

It will be interesting to see how Watson performs in Week 3 against the Panthers.