Jameis Winston didn’t throw a pick-6 on Sunday in Pittsburgh, which is progress.
In a season full of disappointments for the Cleveland Browns, even small improvements matter. Winston, who has been entertaining but not always effective in his six starts, did throw two interceptions.
However, the Browns were hurt more by Dustin Hopkins missing two field goals in their 27-14 loss to the Steelers, who have not lost a regular-season home game to Cleveland since 2003.
After a 497-yard passing game with two pick-6’s in a loss to Denver last Monday night, Winston played more carefully against the Steelers (10-3). But he still made mistakes and couldn’t lead the Browns (3-10) to a comeback, missing the chance to sweep the season series from their division rival for the first time in 36 years.
With the Browns now officially eliminated from the AFC playoffs—something that was clear for weeks—it’s time to think about next season. However, this won’t involve a quarterback change. Coach Kevin Stefanski announced on Monday that Winston, who took over after Deshaun Watson’s Achilles injury in October, will start against the Kansas City Chiefs this week.
Cleveland Browns players celebrate after his touchdown in the 1st half
“Our focus right now is really just trying to find ways to get a win,” Stefanski said.
Although there’s a case for giving second-year QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson a chance to play over the final four weeks to see if he could be part of the team’s future, Stefanski is sticking with Winston, who has become a possible starter for Cleveland next season.
Of course, with the Browns, things are always subject to change. So, there’s a good chance Thompson-Robinson, who started three games and played in eight as a rookie, could get some playing time before the season ends.
Stefanski didn’t go into detail about his decision to stick with Winston, who has thrown for 1,892 yards and holds a 2-4 record as a starter.
“We’re just going to continue to do everything we can to play better,” Stefanski said in a Zoom call. “Obviously I think we can play better on offense. Certainly as a team we can play better, but really the focus is making sure that we put our guys in position to find a way to win.”
For now, Winston gives the Browns a chance to finish the season with some dignity. At this point, that’s all they have.