LANDOVER, Md. — The Cleveland Browns have a problem. Well, in truth, there are a lot of problems. Fundamentals like tackling remain an issue, penalties hinder the team on both sides of the ball—but the area in which the most questions lie is the position that has been awaiting a resurgance for years.
The quarterback.
Deshaun Watson was brought to the Browns to be the franchise quarterback the organization had been longing for since returning to Cleveland in 1999. The team gave the Texans six draft picks—three first-rounders—and gave Watson a $230 million guaranteed contract in order to get him.
Watson spent most of his first season in Cleveland serving a suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy stemming from more than a dozen sexual misconduct allegations filed against him in lawsuits during his time in Houston. The 11-game suspension was served, but Watson had, at that point, not played football in almost two years. His first season came with struggles that were attributed to by many as rust.
In the six games he played in 2022, Watson had a career-low 58.2 completion percentage. He threw for 1,102 yards and seven touchdowns. The Browns finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs.
The team looked forward to Watson having a full season in orange and brown in 2023. The hope was that Watson had shaken the rust off in the six games he was able to play and would be able to showcase the talent the Browns gave so much for.
Watson struggled in his first two games of the season, recording a 55.07 completion percentage, throwing for just 389 yards between the two games with two interceptions and three fumbles. It appeared the rust was still there. Then, Watson hit the field against the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, and there was renewed hope.
In one of his best games as a Brown, Watson completed 81.82% of his passes, throwing for 289 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. But Watson injured his shoulder in that game—an injury he would attempt to play through but that would go on to end his season after only having played in six games for the second year in a row.
With Watson sidelined for the remainder of the 2023 season, the Browns began a quarterback carousel, highlighted by P.J. Walker and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, before the team signed former AFC North foe Joe Flacco to step into the role.
The Browns went 4-1 with Flacco under center, clinching a playoff berth in an exciting Week 16 primetime game against the New York Jets. The Browns lost in the Wild Card round to the Houston Texans with Flacco at quarterback, and at the end of the season, Flacco hit free agency, going on to sign with the Indianapolis Colts in the offseason.
So, two years of question marks for Watson have led to 2024.
Watson spent the offseason ramping up in shoulder rehab after having surgery to repair the injury that cut his season short. By the start of training camp, Watson was throwing with the team and doing it regularly. He was cleared for contact in the preseason but waited to play until Week 1 of the regular season.
The shoulder is fine by all accounts. Watson entered the season fully healthy. But yet, the struggles have remained.
Through the first five games of the season, Watson has yet to throw for 200 yards. He's thrown three interceptions and fumbled five times. He's averaging a measly 4.9 yards per pass attempt. Often, the throws are to the check-down, behind the sticks. When he does let it sail, far too often the passes have been overthrown or off-target.
Now, Watson's struggles can certainly be attributed to a number of things this season. An offensive line riddled with injuries and that is ever-changing by the week has seen pass protection suffer and Watson sacked 26 times already this season. Pre-snap penalties have started the Browns behind the sticks on first down time and time again, hindering them from diversifying the offense early on a drive. Receiver drops in untimely situations have killed drives, ended games and taken away touchdowns.
New offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, who was brought in to revamp the offense after the team fired Alex Van Pelt, has yet to show any semblance of a revitalized offense.
But valid reasons for some of the struggles or not, the questions that have surrounded Watson the last two years remain this season. They have yet to be answered. He has not played at an elite level—has not lived up to the expectations set upon him when the Browns traded for him. Is it fair to put so much on him? In a perfect world, no. But in the NFL all eyes are on the quarterback, and that is Watson's reality.
During Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders, who did not enter the game boasting a strong defense, Watson and the offense looked flat for yet another game this year. Where Washington notched 434 total yards with their rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels under center, the Browns had just 212. On third downs, the Browns mustered up just one conversation in 13 attempts. They averaged three yards per pass with a long of just 19 yards.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski put the blame on himself. He refused to put it on Watson.
"Start with me. Single me out. I need to get it fixed," Stefanski said.
During the game, broadcaster Greg Olsen, who was on the call for the game on FOX, questioned if the Browns should turn to backup Jameis Winston. After the game Stefanski was asked the same thing—if playing Winston over Watson would be an option while Watson deals with his continued struggles.
The answer was no.
"We're not changing quarterbacks. We need to play better. I need to coach better. And that's really what it is," Stefanski said.
The Browns plan to continue with Watson under center. They remain vocal about his efforts for the team.
Defensive end Myles Garrett supported Watson after the, frankly, embarrassing
34-13 loss to the Commanders.
"Playing his *** off. He's fighting to be out there. He's out there trying to make plays and that's what we ask of him," Garrett said after the game. "We're going to get it right and he's going to be a part of that."
At 1-4 to start the season, the Browns have more questions surrounding the team than ever before. And with 17 games as a Brown, with arguably just two to be proud of, many of the questions remain around Watson.
But despite all of this, the Browns quarterback, who has the weight of the franchise sitting on his shoulders, is looking to block out the outside noise as Stefanski and the Browns move forward with trust in him.
"We just got to continue to take what the defense gives us, at the end of the day. I'm rocking with whatever the coach's decision is. We don't listen to the outside world, regardless of what it is," Watson said.
