The Cleveland Browns edged the Carolina Panthers 21-18 on September 27, 2026 at Huntington Bank Field, improving to 2-1 in a one-possession game decided by 3 points.
Quarter-by-Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAR | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 18 |
| CLE | 0 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 21 |
Cleveland spent most of the afternoon grinding for everything it got, then Harold Fannin Jr. came through when the game was sitting on the edge. With Carolina ahead 18-13 late in the fourth, Deshaun Watson found Fannin for a 14-yard touchdown with 1:48 remaining before hitting Denzel Boston for the two-point conversion that completed a 21-18 comeback. Fannin finished with seven catches for 51 yards and both Cleveland touchdowns, while Watson threw for 144 yards and two scores without an interception. Quinshon Judkins added 70 rushing yards, and the Browns defense did its part by keeping Carolina out of the end zone until the final five minutes.
The Panthers outgained Cleveland 359-259, ran 11 more plays and had 24 first downs, but all that offense kept turning into field goals and empty possessions. Bryce Young threw for 290 yards, but Carolina went just 4-of-15 on third down, 0-for-3 on fourth down and had to settle for four Ryan Fitzgerald field goals before John Metchie III finally scored late. Mason Graham wrecked drives with two sacks and three tackles for loss, while Ronnie Hickman added an interception. Carolina had every chance to put this game away and never did — and once Cleveland got one last shot, Fannin made sure the Browns punished them for it.
Postgame Statistical Breakdown
Team Stats
| Stat | Carolina Panthers | Cleveland Browns |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 18 | 21 |
| Total Offensive Yards | 359 | 259 |
| Passing Yards | 261 | 127 |
| Rushing Yards | 98 | 132 |
| Total Plays | 74 | 63 |
| Yards Per Play | 4.9 | 4.1 |
| First Downs | 24 | 17 |
| Third Downs | 4-15 | 5-15 |
| Third-Down % | 26.7% | 33.3% |
| Fourth Downs | 0-3 | 2-3 |
| Passing TDs | 1 | 2 |
| Rushing TDs | 0 | 0 |
| Total Offensive TDs | 1 | 2 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 1 | 0 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 1 |
| Sacks Allowed | 3 | 2 |
| Penalties | 7 | 12 |
| Penalty Yards | 62 | 84 |
| Time of Possession | 29:53 | 30:07 |
Passing
Carolina Panthers
- Bryce Young — 26/48, 54.2%, 290 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT, 6.0 YPA, 3 SACK, 70.7 RTG
Cleveland Browns
- Deshaun Watson — 16/30, 53.3%, 144 YDS, 2 TD, 0 INT, 4.8 YPA, 2 SACK, 88.8 RTG
Rushing
Carolina Panthers
- Chuba Hubbard — 19 CAR, 82 YDS, 4.3 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 16
- AJ Dillon — 4 CAR, 16 YDS, 4.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 11
Cleveland Browns
- Quinshon Judkins — 18 CAR, 70 YDS, 3.9 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 11
- Deshaun Watson — 11 CAR, 45 YDS, 4.1 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 21
Receiving
Carolina Panthers
- Brycen Tremayne — 4 REC, 6 TGT, 82 YDS, 20.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 31
- Darren Waller — 5 REC, 7 TGT, 51 YDS, 10.2 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 14
- Tommy Tremble — 3 REC, 4 TGT, 41 YDS, 13.7 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 17
- Mitchell Evans — 3 REC, 3 TGT, 36 YDS, 12.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 19
- Chuba Hubbard — 4 REC, 4 TGT, 28 YDS, 7.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 30
Cleveland Browns
- Harold Fannin Jr. — 7 REC, 9 TGT, 51 YDS, 7.3 AVG, 2 TD, LONG 14
- Denzel Boston — 2 REC, 4 TGT, 41 YDS, 20.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 28
- Raheim Sanders — 4 REC, 5 TGT, 34 YDS, 8.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 10
- KC Concepcion — 2 REC, 9 TGT, 9 YDS, 4.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 5
- Quinshon Judkins — 2 REC, 2 TGT, 9 YDS, 4.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 9
Scoring Plays
| Qtr | Clock | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q2 | 5:43 | Cleveland Browns | Andre Szmyt 48-yard field goal | CAR 0, CLE 3 |
| Q2 | 1:37 | Cleveland Browns | Harold Fannin Jr. 2-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Andre Szmyt kick) | CAR 0, CLE 10 |
| Q2 | 0:27 | Carolina Panthers | Ryan Fitzgerald 35-yard field goal | CAR 3, CLE 10 |
| Q3 | 13:22 | Carolina Panthers | Ryan Fitzgerald 41-yard field goal | CAR 6, CLE 10 |
| Q3 | 3:17 | Carolina Panthers | Ryan Fitzgerald 53-yard field goal | CAR 9, CLE 10 |
| Q4 | 11:41 | Carolina Panthers | Ryan Fitzgerald 37-yard field goal | CAR 12, CLE 10 |
| Q4 | 7:30 | Cleveland Browns | Andre Szmyt 45-yard field goal | CAR 12, CLE 13 |
| Q4 | 4:25 | Carolina Panthers | John Metchie III 8-yard pass from Bryce Young (two-point run failed) | CAR 18, CLE 13 |
| Q4 | 1:48 | Cleveland Browns | Harold Fannin Jr. 14-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Deshaun Watson pass to Denzel Boston for Two-Point Conversion) | CAR 18, CLE 21 |
Defense
Carolina Panthers
- Princely Umanmielen — 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Lathan Ransom — 8 TOT, 5 SOLO, 1 PD
- Trevis Gipson — 1 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Will Lee III — 6 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 PD
- Derrick Brown — 5 TOT, 5 SOLO, 1 PD
- Patrick Jones II — 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 QBH
- Tre’von Moehrig — 4 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL
- Akayleb Evans — 4 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 PD
- Thomas Incoom — 1 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 FR
- Tyrel Dodson — 6 TOT, 1 SOLO
Cleveland Browns
- Mason Graham — 7 TOT, 4 SOLO, 3 TFL, 2 SACK, 2 QBH
- Ronnie Hickman — 8 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 INT, 1 PD
- Isaiah McGuire — 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 2 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Quincy Williams — 9 TOT, 5 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 QBH
- Mekhi Blackmon — 8 TOT, 6 SOLO, 1 PD
- Maliek Collins — 3 TOT, 2 QBH
- Carson Schwesinger — 6 TOT, 1 SOLO
- Denzel Ward — 3 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 PD
- Jared Verse — 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 QBH
- Myles Harden — 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 PD
Kick Returns
Carolina Panthers
- David Moore — 3 KR, 59 YDS, 19.7 AVG, LONG 22, 0 TD
Cleveland Browns
- Malachi Corley — 4 KR, 104 YDS, 26.0 AVG, LONG 28, 0 TD
Punt Returns
Carolina Panthers
- David Moore — 2 PR, 14 YDS, 7.0 AVG, LONG 8, 0 TD
Cleveland Browns
- KC Concepcion — 1 PR, 1 YDS, 1.0 AVG, LONG 1, 0 TD
