Lloyd: Journeyman P.J. Walker takes Browns on bumpy ride to season's most impressive win (2024)

CLEVELAND —The winding path that landed P.J. Walker in the Browns’ huddle late in the fourth quarter Sunday traces as far east as Philadelphia.

Walker is a Philly kid. So is Browns coach Kevin Stefanski. So is Walker’s agent, Marty Magid. Browns general manager Andrew Berry didn’t grow up in Philly, but he developed a relationship with Magid while he worked in the Eagles’ front office in 2019.

So when Walker was dumped by the Chicago Bears near the end of preseason in late August, Berry was one of the first to contact Magid’s MRM Sports. The Browns didn’t have a roster spot for Walker, but after trading backup quarterback Josh Dobbs to the Arizona Cardinals a few days earlier, they needed Walker for their practice squad. Just in case.

“Just in case” knocked at the worst possible time against one of the league’s most ferocious opponents. Walker didn’t exactly drive the Browns to a stunning 19-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday as much as he managed to just nick the guardrail a few times rather than drive completely off the road, over the cliff and into a fiery ball of flames at the bottom of the I-480 bridge.

No Deshaun Watson, no Nick Chubb and no Joel Bitonio against this fierce Niners defense was supposed to mean no chance at winning. Vegas certainly didn’t think much of the Browns’ chances, labeling them as 9.5-point underdogs by kickoff. That isn’t entirely new. This was the 76th time since they returned to the NFL in 1999 that the Browns entered as at least a 9-point underdog, according to Stathead, the most in the NFL.

It was the sixth time they won.

The Browns were 5-70 in games they entered as at least 9-point underdogs. Only one of those wins came at home. They hadn’t won as such heavy dogs since The Great Eric Mangini Double Fake Punt at New Orleans in 2010.

We’ve had as many presidential elections since 1999 as the Browns have wins now when they enter as this big of an underdog.

It’s been hard for the Browns to win games for 25 years. It’s nearly impossible when Vegas thinks this little of them.

“I’m aware of the lines,” Stefanski said. “I’m aware of whether we’re a favorite or underdog.”

The Browns handed the previously unbeaten 49ers (5-0) their 1st loss of the season Sunday.

Per @Stathead, it was Cleveland’s 1st win over an opponent that entered the game 5-0 or better since Nov. 2, 1969, against the Cowboys (6-0).

— Jason Starrett (@starrettjason) October 15, 2023

Let’s be clear: The Browns’ relentless defense won them this game. The numbers this defense is allowing, or not allowing, are bordering on historic. This defense is doing things that can’t be done in this passing era of football.

Nevertheless, there isn’t a stat for winning a game with a quarterback called up from the practice squad the day before, against a Super Bowl contender, because I can’t recall it ever happening in Cleveland.

For all the memorable Thad Lewis, Kevin Hogan and Connor Shaw performances that fill the Browns’ yearbooks, at least all of those guys were on the active roster the week before.

This … this was rare air even for the Browns.

The Bears thought so little of Walker they cut him despite owing him more than $2 million in guaranteed money and handed their backup job instead to an undrafted Division II rookie.

Walker had options, but none on an active roster. His release from Chicago came so late in the preseason that most other teams were set at quarterback. The New England Patriots offered a slight chance to possibly be the backup to Mac Jones, but Walker preferred Cleveland.

It was a curious choice. Watson is entrenched as the starter and Dorian Thompson-Robinson was drafted as the long-term backup. But Kevin Rogers, one of Stefanski’s assistants, helped recruit Walker to Temple. And Stefanski made a strong pitch to bring Walker to the Minnesota Vikings after he went undrafted in 2017. Walker instead elected to sign with the Indianapolis Colts.

“I’ve always wanted to play for Kevin,” he told me.

Walker was 18 of 34 for 192 yards and two interceptions Sunday. He nearly threw a third pick into triple coverage on the Browns’ final drive that would’ve sealed a Niners victory — we’ll call that one of the guardrail dents.

“He was not supposed to throw that ball,” Stefanski said. “He knew it right away.”

He was 0-for-5 on the game-winning drive (buff that one out with a little wax), yet the Browns still managed to move the ball 63 yards and get close enough for Dustin Hopkins’ winning kick.

Regardless of what happens moving forward, he is the quarterback of record for the most impressive win of the season and probably the biggest regular-season win under Stefanski. This was a big boy win during a time when the Browns really needed it.

Whether he gets another start remains to be seen. There is at least a slight hope Watson might be ready to play next week at Indianapolis. If Watson can’t go, Walker is the obvious choice.

But he technically still isn’t on the Browns’ active roster. He was simply elevated for Sunday’s game. By NFL rule, he will return to the practice squad next week unless the Browns make a corresponding move to open a spot on their 53-man roster. That isn’t out of the question — they were going to carry three quarterbacks on their 53 before trading Dobbs.That’s the conversation for this week in Berea.

The Browns can elevate a practice squad player up to three times. Meanwhile, the Bears — remember them? — lost Justin Fields to a thumb injury Sunday. Tyson Bagent, who took Walker’s place as the backup, finished Sunday’s game for Chicago. The Bears, or any other team, could call Walker if Fields is out for any length of time. But Walker would have to agree to go elsewhere. This isn’t a waiver claim and he wouldn’t be forced to go.

If that occurs, maybe this was enough to convince him to stay.

P.J. Walker, the undrafted, unknown journeyman from Philly, took down Tom Brady last year and now the previously unbeaten Brock Purdy this year. And a confusing week of vague answers about the health of Watson’s right shoulder can wait at least a few more days.

The Browns are still in their lane in the AFC North. With or without guardrails.

(Top photo of P.J. Walker (10) and Nick Harris celebrating the Browns’ 19-17 upset victory against the 49ers: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

Jason Lloyd is a senior columnist for The Athletic, focusing on the Browns, Cavs and Guardians. Follow Jason on Twitter @ByJasonLloyd