Deshaun Watson throws two second-half touchdowns as Cleveland rallies past Tampa Bay 23-19 after a bizarre two-hour weather delay.

The Cleveland Browns found a way to win a game that felt like it might never end.

Deshaun Watson threw two second-half touchdown passes, including the go-ahead 17-yard strike to Blake Whiteheart with 3:57 remaining, as Cleveland rallied past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-19 on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. The victory moved the Browns to 1-1 and dropped the Buccaneers to 0-2.

Watson delivered his best performance of the young season, completing 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He also led Cleveland with 22 rushing yards, which says plenty about how little help the Browns got from their ground game. Quinshon Judkins managed only 21 yards on 12 carries.

Cleveland trailed 16-6 in the third quarter after Baker Mayfield connected with Emeka Egbuka for a 5-yard touchdown, but Watson answered almost immediately.

Rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston caught a short pass over the middle, broke free from multiple defenders and raced for a 55-yard touchdown that tied the game at 16. Boston finished with five catches for 95 yards, giving Cleveland the explosive play it badly needed.

Tampa Bay reclaimed the lead on Chase McLaughlin’s fourth field goal of the afternoon, but Cleveland responded with its best drive of the game.

Watson went no-huddle, repeatedly converted third downs and eventually found Whiteheart on the left side. Whiteheart briefly lost his footing, recovered and finished the 17-yard scoring play untouched to put Cleveland ahead 23-19.

Then the game got strange.

With Tampa Bay driving for a potential winning score and the clock nearing the two-minute warning, lightning and torrential rain forced play to be suspended for two hours and 12 minutes. The Buccaneers had the ball near Cleveland territory when the weather delay began.

When play finally resumed, Tampa Bay still had a chance.

Bucky Irving, who finished with 89 rushing yards on 17 carries, helped move the Buccaneers deeper into Browns territory. But Cleveland’s defense held, and Mayfield’s final attempt toward Egbuka fell incomplete with 22 seconds remaining.

Mayfield completed 21 of 34 passes for 182 yards, one touchdown and one interception against his former team. Cleveland also pressured him consistently, especially in the first half, when the Browns recorded three sacks.

For Cleveland, this was an important response after a disappointing opener.

The Browns didn’t run the ball well. They didn’t dominate statistically. Tampa Bay actually finished with more total yards, 313-267.

But Cleveland protected the football, got a major second-half performance from Watson, found a big-play threat in Boston and made the defensive stops that mattered most.

That was enough to turn a 10-point second-half deficit into a road win … even if it took most of the afternoon and evening to finish it.