Film Review: McCoy Finds Watson for 34-Yard TD Pass

Early in the second quarter of Sunday's 27-17 win, the momentum seemed to shift from the Bengals, who scored 13 points by the 11:30 mark in the second quarter, to the Browns. After Josh Cribbs returned a kick all the way to the Browns' 43-yard line, the Browns seemed to come alive.

On a first-and-10 play from the Browns 34-yard line, quarterback Colt McCoy would give the Browns their first points of the season in the form of a touchdown pass to tight end Benjamin Watson.

The Browns were lined up with two tight ends, Watson and Alex Smith, both on the right side of the line. Montario Hardesty was alone in the backfield. McCoy was under center and Josh Cribbs was wide right with Mohamed Massaquoi wide left. 

The Bengals were lined up with Michael Johnson, Domata Peko, Geno Atkins and Robert Geathers on the line from right to left. Manny Lawson was on the line next to Geathers, across from the Browns' tight ends, and Rey Maualuga and Thomas Howard were behind the line. Nate Clements was across from Cribbs and Hall was across from Massaquoi. Chris Crocker was behind Lawson and Maualuga and Reggie Nelson was lined up almost directly behind Hall.

Before the snap, Cribbs went in motion to the left and stopped just behind the left guard and Clements followed. When the Ball was napped, McCoy faked a handoff to Hardesty to the right side, drawing the Bengals in just for a second. McCoy then rolled out wide to the right side of his offensive line with only Smith blocking for him. Smith was being guarded by Lawson and it seemed at first that Lawson didn't realize that Smith was blocking and not going out for a pass. McCoy was not in danger of getting sacked at all. 

Cribbs found a hole right behind the defensive line but Clements and Maualuga were on him quickly. Massaquoi ran a slant. As soon as he left Hall's zone to the inside, Hall let him go towards Howard and Crocker, who followed him. Unfortunately, that opened up a huge lane for Watson. Watson started the play by chipping Geathers before taking off down the middle of the field. With linebackers and safety drawn in by the play action and then by Massaquoi, there was nobody close to being able to guard Watson. 

McCoy found him got the ball to him on the five-yard line. Hall, seeing the mistake that the defense had made, tried to get to Watson before it was too late, but reached him just as the ball was in Watson's hands. Hall hit Watson around the three yard line but Watson was able to stumble forward the last three yards and reach out for the end zone.

Phil Dawson put the extra point through the uprights making the score 13-7.