CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns may not have played their best football Sunday afternoon, but when the game reached its most important moments, they found a way to make the plays that mattered.

Trailing the Carolina Panthers 18-13 with just over four minutes remaining, the Browns needed an answer.

They got one from Deshaun Watson.

Watson led Cleveland on an eight-play, 55-yard drive that ended with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Harold Fannin Jr. with 1:48 remaining, giving the Browns a 19-18 lead. Cleveland then converted the two-point attempt when Watson connected with Denzel Boston, pushing the lead to three.

The defense took care of the rest.

Cleveland stopped Carolina's final two possessions, including an interception by safety Ronnie Hickman with less than 30 seconds remaining, to secure a 21-18 victory and move to 2-1 on the season.

It was not necessarily the prettiest win the Browns will have this season.

But it was a win that required Cleveland to find a way to win. Something in the past that has been troublesome.

They found a way.

Browns Defense Sets the Tone

For much of the afternoon, Cleveland's defense was the reason the Browns remained in control.

Carolina entered the matchup averaging 35.5 points per game and more than 400 yards of offense through its first two games. Against Cleveland, the Panthers managed just three points and 113 net yards in the first half.

The Browns consistently made life difficult for Bryce Young and the Carolina offense.

Defensive tackle Mason Graham continued his impressive start to the season, recording a sack of Young on fourth-and-3 to force a turnover on downs. It marked Graham's third consecutive game with a sack to open the season.

Later in the first half, Isaiah McGuire brought Young down on third-and-goal, forcing Carolina to settle for another field goal.

The Panthers were able to move the football more effectively after halftime, but Cleveland's defense repeatedly made plays when Carolina threatened.

That was especially important considering the Browns' offense struggled to generate much momentum for much of the afternoon.

Watson Finds His Moment

Watson's final stat line wasn't spectacular.

He completed 16 of 30 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns, with both scores going to Fannin.

For three quarters, however, Watson and the Cleveland offense struggled to consistently move the football.

Watson entered the fourth quarter having completed only 10 of 21 passes for 67 yards.

Then something changed.

The Browns finally began finding openings in the Carolina defense, and Watson became much more effective when Cleveland needed him most.

He finished the fourth quarter 6-of-9 for 77 yards, including the game-winning touchdown pass to Fannin.

The biggest drive of the game came after John Metchie III gave Carolina its first touchdown of the afternoon, putting the Panthers ahead 18-13 with 4:25 remaining.

There was little margin for error.

Watson responded with his best sequence of the game.

A roughing-the-passer penalty helped Cleveland move into the red zone, and after briefly leaving the game following the hit, Watson returned to deliver the decisive pass.

Fannin found space in the end zone, Watson found Fannin and suddenly Cleveland was back in front.

Fannin Comes Through Again

If there was one constant for Cleveland's offense, it was Fannin.

The young tight end finished with seven catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns, accounting for both of Cleveland's touchdowns on the afternoon.

His first touchdown came on fourth-and-goal in the second quarter when he found himself open in the back corner of the end zone.

His second was considerably more important.

With the Browns needing a touchdown to reclaim the lead late in the fourth quarter, Fannin again found himself in the right place.

Watson delivered a strike, and Fannin did the rest.

The Browns' offense may have struggled to consistently create explosive plays, but when the game was on the line, the Watson-to-Fannin connection delivered.

Cleveland's Offense Still Has Work to Do

While the comeback is certainly something for the Browns to celebrate, Sunday's game also exposed areas that need to be addressed.

Cleveland finished with just 259 total yards, compared with 360 for Carolina. The Browns managed 132 yards rushing and only 127 through the air.

The offense also struggled to sustain drives during stretches of the game.

After scoring 10 points in the first half, Cleveland went three-and-out on its first three possessions of the second half.

That allowed Carolina to slowly work its way back into the game.

The Panthers repeatedly settled for field goals before finally breaking through with the Metchie touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Against a more explosive offense, those stretches could prove costly.

The Browns were able to overcome them Sunday because their defense continued to make plays and Watson delivered late.

But relying on fourth-quarter comebacks every week is a difficult formula for success.

The Little Things Nearly Cost Cleveland

The Browns also have some cleanup to do before their next game.

Cleveland was penalized 12 times for 84 yards, while also losing a fumble.

Those mistakes helped keep Carolina around despite the Panthers struggling to reach the end zone for much of the afternoon.

A team cannot consistently give opponents extra opportunities and expect the defense to erase every mistake.

Sunday's victory showed that Cleveland can overcome adversity.

The next step is making sure it doesn't create unnecessary adversity for itself.

The Defense Finishes the Job

After Watson and the offense reclaimed the lead, the defense had one final responsibility.

Don't give it back.

The Panthers had two possessions remaining.

Cleveland stopped both.

On Carolina's final drive, Young dropped back with less than 30 seconds remaining and attempted to put the Panthers in position for a potential game-tying field goal.

Instead, Ronnie Hickman came away with the interception.

Ballgame.

It was the type of defensive finish that Cleveland needed after allowing Carolina to climb back into the contest.

The Browns had spent most of the afternoon preventing explosive plays, and when the game was finally on the line, the defense delivered one final time.

Now Comes the AFC North

The Browns will not have much time to celebrate this one.

Cleveland returns to Huntington Bank Field on Thursday night to host the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC North matchup.

That game will present an entirely different challenge.

The Steelers will bring a physical style of football and a division-rivalry atmosphere that should make every mistake matter even more.

For Cleveland, the preparation needs to begin with cleaning up Sunday's issues.

The Browns need to limit penalties, find more consistency offensively and avoid the long stretches without sustained drives that allowed Carolina to remain within striking distance.

At the same time, Cleveland can carry plenty of positives into Thursday.

The defense has shown it can dictate stretches of a game. Graham continues to make an impact up front. The Browns have found a reliable red-zone connection between Watson and Fannin, and Sunday's comeback showed that Cleveland can respond when faced with adversity.

Now the Browns have to prove they can put together a more complete performance.

Sunday was about surviving.

Thursday will be about whether Cleveland can turn that resilience into consistency.

The Browns are 2-1, winners of two straight, and heading into their first AFC North matchup of the season with momentum on their side.

But against Pittsburgh, Cleveland will need more than a late-game rescue.

They'll need four quarters of disciplined football.