Playing in a winter wonderland with snow-capped gridiron didn’t stop Jameis Winston from leading his team to an unlikely victory. Coming up against Russell Wilson’s Steelers, Winston ensured the Browns came out on top in their AFC North battle. With that 24-19 victory, Winston-led Browns have now dished out L’s to both the Ravens and the Steelers.

Well, witnessing Winston produce two upsets against their divisional rivals has led to some wild comparisons by NBA legend Paul Pierce on Fox Sports presented SpeakFS1. Before drawing comparisons with Russ, Pierce called Winston the epitome of the American dream, “His energy is contagious. He beat the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is a starter right now. That’s what the American story and the American dream are all about. That’s when you fall, and you get up. And that is what we’re seeing right now.”

Seeing Pierce link the Browns QB with the American dream might have come from his recent ups and downs as a starter. After leading the Browns to an unlikely win over the Ravens in week 8, Winston went on to throw three interceptions the following week. Before the Browns went into their bye week, there were even talks of Winston getting benched. However, he has now repaid the faith shown in him as Pierce put him in the same bracket as Russ for now, “He’s just as good as Russ today, not all time, just today.”

Although the NBA legend’s peers on the Fox studio weren’t buying into the idea of Winston getting compared with nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson. His night in Cleveland did show promise, as he passed for 219 yards while 112 yards came from outside the pocket. Well, he is now the seventh QB this season who has managed to throw for more than 100 yards from outside the pocket. As for Russ, he yet again showcased his deep throw accuracy. The Steelers QB completed four of his 6 pass attempts for 135 yards.

Even his 23-yard TD to Calvin Austin III late into the final quarter gave the Steelers a brief lead. However, Winston’s 19 first downs and 4-of-4 fourth downs were enough to see out the Steelers in the blizzard. Winston’s stellar performances against their divisional rivals do pose a question about his place once Deshaun Watson comes back.

Jameis Winston’s impressive performances throw Deshaun Watson’s Browns future into dark

Although the Browns don’t have any hopes left to make the playoffs as they still remain 4th in the AFC North. The victory over their divisional rivals was surely a Thanksgiving gift for the Browns out there. As Jameis Winston summed up his night with a cheeky 5-word reference, “Am I a Brown yet.” Well, he is for now, and a few more wins would only cement his place on the starting lineup.

While his future remains uncertain with Watson out with an ACL tear, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was full of praise for his backup QB, “A very, very authentic person. He’s the same guy every single day. He’s the same guy at 5 a.m as he at 5 p.m. He brings great energy to everything he does. And I think his teammates appreciate that about him.”

After Stefanski’s positive take on Winston, their defensive end, Myles Garrett, also chimed in with his thoughts, “He doesn’t get rattled. He’s just tuned in and focused as anyone I’ve seen at that position.” As for Winston, he is 2 for 2 as a starter in Cleveland. And the way he is performing right now, the Browns have a decision to make when Watson does come back. Although there is still time before that happens, the Browns find some positives under Winston in a season that remained doom and gloom under Watson.