Former North Fort Myers and UAB Star Austin Watkins Leads Cleveland Browns in 18-18 Tie Against Defending NFC Conference Champs

Former North Fort Myers and University of Alabama Birmingham star and 2023 USFL Champion Austin Watkins Jr. led the way for the Cleveland Browns in their 18-18 tie with the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night.

Watkins, the first cousin of star wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Sammy Watkins, led all receivers with a game high 7 catches for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Browns.

Browns Defense Scores First for Second Week in a Row

The Cleveland Browns got an early safety to take a 2-0 lead for the second week in a row.

With 8:51 left in the first quarter, former Utah Utes football player Mohamoud Diabate who led the Browns with eight tackles, tackled the Eagles Kenneth Gainwell in the end zone for the safety.

Former second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, quarterback Marcus Mariota then led Philadelphia down the field for a 56-yard field goal by Jake Elliot with 4:35 left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Browns kicker Cade York converted two late first half field goals to give the Browns an 8-3 lead heading into halftime.

Second Half

After halftime, the Eagles scored a touchdown on their first drive to take a 10-8 lead.

The Browns then took the lead when former Texas A & M star Kellen Mond connected with Watkins on a 32-yard touchdown pass to give the Browns a 15-10 lead with 5:17 left in the third quarter.

The Browns extended their lead to 18-10 early in the 4th quarter when Cade York connected on a 43 yard field goal with 14:48 left in the game.

Philadelphia tied the game at 18 when they got a touchdown and added a two point conversion with 6:09 left to go in the contest.

The Browns would have a chance to take the lead with 1:55 left in the game but York was wide left on a 41-yard field goal attempt.

After two final possessions, one by the Eagles and one by the Browns, in the last two minutes of the game, the contest ended in an 18-18 tie.

Coach Stefanski’s Thoughts on the Game

After the game, Coach Stefanski provided his thoughts on the performance of the team.

“Good effort for 60 minutes, obviously you always want to come away with a win,” said Stefanski. “So the guys fought to the end there. Some really good moments, I thought the compete was outstanding. I thought the effort was outstanding and now we can head back after a really productive week and get ready for Kansas City and our final preseason game.”

The Cleveland Browns take on the Kansas City Chiefs in their final preseason game on Saturday, August 26th at 1pm.