Deshaun Watson leads another game-winning drive as the Browns beat the Titans 27-24

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Deshaun Watson keeps turning in game-winning drives, and his career revival is keeping the Cleveland Browns atop the AFC North.

Watson led his fifth winning drive in the fourth quarter this season, connecting with Harold Fannin Jr. on a 36-yard catch-and run that set up Andre Szmyt's 32-yard field goal as time expired, and the Browns beat the Tennessee Titans 27-24 on Sunday for their fifth win in six games.

“He has something in him to be able to make plays when it counts,” Browns first-year coach Todd Monken said.

Watson also ran for a touchdown and threw for 308 yards.

“Being in this league for 10 years now, I understand that a lot of games are going to come down to that, if not every game,” Watson said. “So, if we’re close enough in it and we have those opportunities, we just got to lock in and ... that’s where the pressure and the most important (thing), you got to really be on your P’s and Q’s.”

Quinshon Judkins ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns, and rookie KC Concepcion caught eight passes for 129 yards in his best game yet.

The Browns (5-2) had two takeaways as they started a three-game road swing with a win.

Szmyt got the chance with his game-winning kick to make up for clanking a 43-yarder off the right upright within the first minute of the fourth quarter. The Titans responded with a drive capped by a 29-yard field goal by Joey Slye, which tied the game at 17-all with 8:41 remaining.

Watson responded with a 71-yard drive that he finished with a 9-yard TD run with 4:34 left. The Titans answered when Tony Pollard scored his career high-tying third TD with 58 seconds remaining. Slye’s extra point tied it at 24-all.

Officials missed an apparent false start on the Browns when Watson found Fannin for the big gain. Asked if officials missed the penalty, Titans coach Robert Saleh said he'd have to look at the video.

“Live, I think they did, yeah,” Saleh said.

The Titans (1-6) came in trying to string together back-to-back wins for the first time in nearly four years. They had their best start to a game this season, taking a 14-0 lead with Pollard's two touchdowns.

They missed a chance at a 21-7 lead when Pollard was ruled down just outside the end zone in the second. Cleveland turned the Titans over on downs with Maliek Collins stopping Pollard on fourth-and-goal.

“We’ve got to be able to push it in from the inch-yard line,” Saleh said.

Tennessee's Anthony Hill Jr. stripped Fannin of the ball after a catch in the second quarter, and safety Tony Adams recovered. But Cleveland's Denzel Ward picked off Cam Ward on the next play.

The Browns turned that takeaway into a 78-yard drive, capped by Judkins running for his second 5-yard TD.

The Titans went three-and-out, giving Cleveland the ball back. Szmyt kicked a 28-yard field goal as time expired for a 17-14 halftime lead.

Pollard finished with a season-high 129 yards rushing. Not that it mattered after another loss.

“The most important stat is a win,” Titans right tackle JC Latham said. “So, I don’t care if we have 1,000 yards rushing the ball in one game. If we didn’t win the game, it doesn’t really matter.”

The Titans tied the 2014-18 Browns for most consecutive games without back-to-back wins in the same season at 65, according to Sportradar. Tampa Bay went 74 straight from 1985-1989 without consecutive wins, but the Bucs won the last game of 1988 and the first of 1989.

With this latest loss, Tennessee's streak is assured of reaching at least 66 games.

Browns right tackle Tytus Howard was evaluated for a concussion after going down during Cleveland's opening drive of the third quarter. Cornerback Myles Harden hurt a hamstring but returned in the fourth quarter.

Titans punter Tommy Townsend hurt a knee on a 44-yard punt late in the second quarter. Townsend stretched on the sideline, but placekicker Slye came out for a punt on fourth-and-1, only to be bailed out when Cleveland had 12 men on the field. Slye punted late in the third and had a 42-yarder on his first NFL punt.

Saleh said after the game that Townsend was being evaluated.

The Browns visit Pittsburgh next Sunday.

The Titans visit Cincinnati next Sunday.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) holds off Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Winston Jr. (23) on his way to scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) makes a first down catch over Tennessee Titans cornerback Cor'dale Flott (18) during the first half of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) looks to pass out of the end zone during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) celebrates as he leaves the field at the end of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20) is lifted by offensive tackle JC Latham (55) after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (10) is tackled by Tennessee Titans defensive ends Oluwafemi Oladejo (7) and Keldric Faulk (15), obscured, during the first half of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Cleveland Browns players celebrate after place kicker Andre Szmyt (25) kicked a field goal to win their NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) scores a touchdown past Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Winston Jr. (23) during the second half of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/John Amis)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Vote-counting resumed in Brazil’s polarizing presidential runoff between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro after voting hours were extended following requests by both candidates for an extension based on issues with voting in their respective stronghold.

The extension had caused confusion at many polling stations. Some had already shut down when the decision — made by a Supreme Court justice three minutes before poll close time — was relayed to them several minutes after they’d already shut down, and results were paused until the end of the two-hour window.

The decision set the stage for possible legal challenges no matter who wins. Lula’s camp said it was already looking into taking legal action because of “interference in the electoral process,” said Edhinho Silva, chairman of Lula’s Workers Party.

Bolsonaro’s campaign had yet to comment. Bolsonaro ally Nikolas Ferreira is saying the decision that came from the Supreme Court justice, who is also Lula’s ex-lawyer, is an attempt to contest Bolsonaro’s likely win.

The contest will determine whether the U.S. will significantly expand its growing influence in Latin America. A win for Bolsonaro would signify a pivot to the right by Latin America’s most populous country and its largest economy, in a year when Trump allies have scored victories in Chile, Peru and Colombia. A victory for Lula would leave Brazil and Mexico with left-of-center leaders.

Polls showed the two candidates, who need more than 50% of the vote to become Brazil’s next leader in January, in a neck-and-neck race. The election pits the left-of-center veteran politician Lula against Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump and the son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro.

As polls were closing, Brazilian Supreme Court justice Cristiano Zanin ruled to extend voting nationwide for two hours following candidates' requests. Lula’s request came after issues with buses that provide transportation to polls in Sao Paulo and Salvador, two cities that tend to favor the incumbent. A state electoral judge ordered the arrest of the Pablo Souza, mobility secretary of the Bahia state capital, Salvador, in relation to the case after at least 75 public buses were prevented from leaving municipal garages Sunday.

Bolsonaro’s request was due to heavy rains in Brazil’s south, where he is favored.

The extension threatened to cause logistical problems with some polls likely having closed before they got the order to stay open.

In Brasilia, volunteers who oversaw the vote count at a school debated whether they needed to stay after the announcement to extend voting, but most left 15 to 20 minutes after polls closed and they had given count information to electoral authorities. At a polling station in Rio de Janeiro, the voting machines had already been switched off minutes after polls were set to close and couldn’t be turned back on.

Supreme Court Justice Zanin later clarified the decision is valid for wherever polls were still open.

The electoral mission for the Organization of American States said in a statement that it is monitoring reports of public transportation issues.

Bolsonaro bested Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round of the election earlier this month. However, more than 33 million voters out of nearly 160 million did not turn out.

Bolsonaro and Lula have opposing ideological views on issues ranging from U.S.-Brazil relations and climate change to social welfare.

In many ways, Brazil’s runoff vote is another tight rematch between the country’s two polarized political forces that trigger passion as much as loathing. Four years ago, Lula beat Bolsonaro’s father by the narrowest margin since the country’s return to democracy in 1985.

Lula, who first governed Brazil between 2003 and 2010, has faced a tough reelection battle because of concerns about the cost of living and security. Bolsonaro made a tough-on-crime approach the cornerstone of his campaign and pledged to bring down food costs while Lula, trying to lure undecided voters, has invested in costly incentives.

Both have been hit by corruption suspicions involving family members and allies, with Bolsonaro implicated in a sprawling scandal rocking Brazil. Lula previously spent more than a year in prison on corruption convictions that were eventually annulled.

Lula voters turned out Sunday driven by his history of supporting marginalized people and working to lift Brazilians out of poverty.

“Lula is a man of the people and he knows what it’s like to be poor,” Luzia da Souza, who runs a bar in Rio de Janeiro, said. "I find it impossible not to vote for him.”

Anderson Falcão, a 43-year-old journalist in Brasilia, said he worried about Bolsonaro’s long-term political vision, which he called “exclusionary.”

“It’s a project that harms the less fortunate, harms the worker, women, the forest, the Amazon,” he said.

Bolsonaro voters, many of whom wore yellow and green Brazil jerseys in support of the senator, said they want change.

“Things are really expensive and taxes are too high,” Fabianne Borges Santoro, a 45-year-old physiotherapist in Rio de Janeiro, said. She added that she once voted for Lula’s party but now associates it with corruption.

Kelvin Gomes Pimental, a 28-year-old data analyst in Brasilia, voted for a third-party candidate in the first round, making his vote for Lula a decisive one in this election.

“It’s not even about Flávio himself. It’s also very much about the management of the other Bolsonaro government. He wanted to stage a coup,” he said. “These issues scare me a little.”

Diogo Furtado, a 35-year-old Uber driver in Rio de Janeiro, didn’t vote the first time because of his work, but said he'll vote blank on Sunday. He said that neither candidate convinced him.

“Brazil needs a new candidate,” Furtado said. “But unfortunately our country has become dominated by two names: Lula and Bolsonaro."

Lula criticized the U.S. president before Brazil's election, speaking about the risks of U.S. intervention in Brazilian elections after the Trump administration imposed high tariffs against Brazilian exports and classified drug-trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations. Experts say the moves may have been intended to make Lula look soft on crime.

Flávio Bolsonaro has touted his proximity to the White House and insisted that Brazil needs to strike better deals with the Trump administration, including in the rare minerals economy. Brazil estimates that its deposits hold up to 21 million tons, second only to China. He denies he's being helped by the U.S. government.

Trump said Sunday that he is watching the election but declined to endorse a candidate.

Savarese reported from Sao Paulo. Brigida reported from Brasilia.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro flashes a victory sign as he arrives in Brasilia, Brazil, on the day of the presidential runoff election, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, waves after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro and his wife Fernanda Bolsonaro give a thumbs during the runoff presidential election in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izuierdo)

People walk along the beach during the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, waves after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, wears glasses given to him by a supporter after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Voters line up at a polling station during the presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, displays a Brazilian flag before voting in a presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Voters line up at a polling station during the presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Voters line outside a polling station up during the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A supporter of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, lines up at a polling station during a presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro and his wife Fernanda Bolsonaro give a thumbs during the runoff presidential election in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Voters wait to cast their ballots during a presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

Red T-shirts depicting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, and yellow T-shirts depicting opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro hang for sale outside a building ahead of Brazil's presidential runoff election in Autazes, Amazonas state, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, who is running for reelection, and his running mate Geraldo Alckmin raise their arms in unison at the end of their final campaign rally, a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, center, leaves after his final campaign rally a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Supporters of opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro cheer during his final campaign rally a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

A girl standing on a man's shoulders reaches out amid a crowd of supporters of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, during his final campaign rally, a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)