Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston saw his day (and seemingly his season) end early in Week 15 versus the Kansas City Chiefs. It wasn’t due to injury, though, as another spate of turnovers from Winston sent the former No. 1 overall pick to the bench.
Why Was Jameis Winston Benched?
Winston’s play is a lot like a rollercoaster ride at your favorite theme park. It is never boring, filled with ups and downs, and sometimes, it even causes you to projectile vomit. Cleveland fans can relate to this, as Winston had his usual wild swings from week to week this season, and the Bad Jameis appeared once again in Week 15 against Kansas City.
Winston went 16-for-25 with 146 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions. It was his third game of the season with three or more interceptions, the only player in the NFL with multiple such games in 2024. That’s despite Winston not making his first start until Week 8.
On the season, Winston ranks 29th in PFN’s QB+ metric with a grade of 66.5 (D). While the offense looked better at times with Winston under center (365.4 yards per game in seven starts) than it did with Deshaun Watson (253.9 yards per game in seven starts). Watson posted a QB+ grade of 45.1 (F), ranking 43rd of 43 qualified QBs. Still, given the turnovers, Cleveland decided to sit Winston and give their other reserves a shot under center.
Browns Announce Another Starting QB for Week 18
Lucky number 40?! The Browns will start Bailey Zappe in their Week 18 season finale against the Baltimore Ravens. Zappe will be the 40th starting quarterback for the Browns since the franchise returned to Cleveland in 1999, which is the most in the entire NFL.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Zappe as the starter on Thursday after practice but went on to explain that both Zappe and Dorian Thompson-Robinson will get playing time in the Week 18 finale.
Zappe, who was originally signed off the Chiefs’ practice squad after Watson’s season-ending Achilles tear in October, has made eight starts in his career across the 2022 and 2023 seasons when he was a member of the New England Patriots. The 2022 fourth-round pick has completed 63.2% of his passes for 2,053 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
While his 2022 season did not qualify for QB+ (since he only had two starts in four games and just 92 pass attempts), Zappe’s 2023 season ranked as the 213th-best season since 2019 among 213 qualified seasons with a grade of 45.0 (F).
Thompson-Robinson, a 2023 fifth-round pick, struggled in his two starts this season, completing just 54.3% of his passes for 327 yards while throwing three interceptions. Cleveland lost both of his starts after he took over for Winston.
Winston is currently dealing with a shoulder injury but will serve as the team’s emergency QB3 in Week 18 if something were to happen to both Zappe and Thompson-Robinson.
The Chase for No. 1… in the 2025 NFL Draft
The Browns will be looking to get one more loss in Baltimore against the Ravens for the season finale. The No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is still in play for the Browns:
- If the Browns lose against the Ravens
- If the New England Patriots win vs. the Buffalo Bills
- If the Tennessee Titans win vs. the Houston Texans
Then, the Browns would clinch the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft as long as the New York Giants’ strength of schedule (137-119, 0.535) does not worsen below Cleveland’s (136-120, 0.531) — “so you’re saying there’s a chance!”
If the Browns land the top overall pick, perhaps they can finally find their quarterback of the future.