The Cleveland Browns became the first team to beat the San Francisco 49ers in the 2023 NFL regular season. As if that wasn’t shocking enough, Cleveland accomplished the feat despite a starting quarterback who was cut from the practice squad just the day before the Santa Clara game.
With Deshaun Watson sidelined with an upper-body issue, the Browns asked PJ Walker to start the lineup against the Niners. While Walker didn’t exactly have a stellar performance, he still earned the respect of Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
“He’s a fighter,” Stefanski said of Walker after the game (h/t Dan Labbe, Cleveland.com). Walker had 18 and 34 passes for 192 yards against San Francisco. He could not find anyone for a touchdown and was caught twice, but in the end his game did not stop the Browns from collecting the team’s third victory of the season. Walker could have been better had he been called up earlier, but he still deserves credit for the way he held his own under center against a formidable defense like the Niners.
