BEREA, Ohio — Browns fans themselves have had mixed reactions to the new quarterback, but how do opposing fans feel about Deshaun Watson? After one preseason game, it seems pretty clear.
"The crowd was loud for a preseason game in Jacksonville. They got pretty loud down there," said Browns guard Joel Bitonio.
Entering his ninth NFL season, Bitonio is familiar with opposing fanbases' reception each season. While booing is part of the experience, this season in particular appears to be shaping up to draw in extra jeering.
"I'm sure in every stadium we go to we'll be booed. I don't know if it'll get worse—I think people get tired of booing," Bitonio said. "I'm sure every time he goes out there, there'll be some sort of boo to start and we'll go from there."
On Friday during the first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, fans proved that to be true. Watson ran onto the field to boos from Jags fans—and some explicit chants also echoed through TIAA Bank Stadium pointed at Watson.
"I think playing this sport we understand that you’re going to go into some stadiums that present hostile environments, that’s how the NFL works," said head coach Kevin Stefanski. "They try to use it to their homefield advantage, but we have an awareness of that.”
But the boos were very specific to Watson, clearly directed at him for the allegations of sexual misconduct against him and the pending suspension from the NFL for violating the Personal Conduct Policy. It was very clear the boos were for Watson after the third series when he was sidelined for the rest of the game.
"I think once Deshaun came out of the game we got booed less," Bitonio said. "But you go to a road game, they boo you anyway, so you know what I mean? So we'll see how it goes."
Bitonio said while the booing was intense against Watson, he doesn't think the quarterback was shaken by it.
"I think you expect it as going into any any game I've been to it's been loud, it's been booed that first time you get out on the series anyway. I don't think rattled him," Bitonio said.
Stefanski said that the reaction to Watson from opposing fans isn't something they're thinking about, choosing rather to focus on the task at hand—winning games.
“We’d be doing ourselves a disservice if we focused on anything people were saying about us before the game, during the game, after the game those types of things," Stefanski said.
Even though the situation surrounding Watson is far different than other challenges faced by the Browns and other Cleveland teams in the past—Bitonio said no matter what, the mindset remains the same as it has in years past.
"It seems like more than ever, Cleveland against the world, so we'll be ready for it," Biotnio said.
Camryn Justice is a reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @camijustice.
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