BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson stood behind a lectern after the worst statistical recreation of his profession. In a 34-7 residence loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, Watson posted an 8.3 complete QBR and averaged 2.6 air yards per try, each career-low marks. He was indecisive, his downfield targets have been erratic, and he was sacked six instances as his offensive line struggled.
Within the aftermath, Watson was requested if such a efficiency may shake his confidence.
“Hell no,” Watson answered. “I will at all times be Deshaun Watson, no matter whoever else says in any other case.”
Watson, a minimum of the Professional Bowl model who the Browns hoped would catapult their roster to Tremendous Bowl rivalry, has failed to seem for the reason that franchise traded three first-round picks to the Houston Texans and gave him a completely assured $230 million in March 2022. And 9 months after Joe Flacco, now with the Indianapolis Colts, helped lead Cleveland to the playoffs whereas Watson was sidelined by harm, the crew has regressed with Watson again as starter.
Watson took a winding path to a season’s price of begins in Cleveland. He began by serving an 11-game suspension after greater than two dozen girls accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct throughout therapeutic massage periods. (One other lawsuit, filed in Harris County, Texas, in September accusing Watson of sexual assault and battery in October 2020 was resolved, the legal professionals for either side informed ESPN on Monday night time. The NFL had been investigating the grievance however declined to remark.)
Accidents, together with the fracture in Watson’s throwing shoulder that required season-ending surgical procedure final November, have undercut his time on the sphere, which has included few flashes of his earlier brilliance however is affected by irritating shows.
Watson made his seventeenth begin as a member of the Browns on Sunday in a 34-13 loss to the Washington Commanders, Cleveland’s third straight defeat. The loss was headlined by extra struggles from Watson — his 5 straight video games with out 200 passing yards is the longest stretch of his profession — safety points and procedural penalties, together with a delay of recreation on fourth down close to the purpose line that led a annoyed Watson to stroll off the sphere and left coach Kevin Stefanski watching incredulously on the sideline.
The Browns are 9-8 in video games Watson has began, however his stats and efficiency have paled compared to his time with the Texans, when he made three Professional Bowls and was thought to be one of many NFL’s premier quarterbacks. His 34.3 complete QBR ranks thirty second of 34 certified passers (his 67.7 QBR in Houston ranked third).
Because the Browns proceed to push by their 1-4 begin with Watson as their starter — Stefanski dominated out a change Sunday — Cleveland is ready for Watson to return to his earlier elite type. Watson hasn’t been capable of reside as much as the expectations which have include one of many largest contracts ever. And as his supporting solid has been inconsistent, the 29-year-old has did not elevate the group round him as he did so many instances in Houston.
“This isn’t a one-person situation on offense,” Stefanski mentioned after the Browns’ loss to the Commanders. “We now have the blokes. We now have the coaches. We are going to get it fastened.”
THE BROWNS FACED third-and-9 towards the tip of the primary half of their Week 4 recreation towards the Las Vegas Raiders. Watson took a shotgun snap and started to drop again. By the point his toes have been set, defensive finish Tyree Wilson was barreling down on him. Watson took successful from Wilson as he launched a downfield cross to extensive receiver Amari Cooper, who was sprinting previous a flat-footed cornerback in Jack Jones. The try, although, fell aimlessly down the sideline as Cooper veered inside.
As Watson obtained to his toes and the Browns’ offense headed off the sphere, cameras caught him yelling and clapping his arms at proper deal with Dawand Jones, who allowed Wilson to blow proper by him. Backup quarterback Jameis Winston was additionally later seen being held again by teammates on the sideline as he animatedly tried to deal with Dawand Jones.
Watson would later downplay the heated change — “Simply making an attempt to be nice, that is it” — and Jones accepted duty for the blown block. However the signal of mounting frustration was a microcosm of the Browns’ offense by the primary month of the season. Cleveland would go on to lose, 20-16, falling to 1-3 for the primary time beneath Stefanski.
“We have to rating extra factors than we’re scoring proper now,” Stefanski mentioned after the sport. “So, we have to guarantee that we’re giving our guys a possibility to execute the sport plan, no matter it could be, run or cross, and simply play a clear soccer recreation, deal with the rock, rating some factors. However that is our focus, much less so outlining what we consider the identification to be. We simply must go play clear soccer.”
IN THE OFFSEASON, Cleveland fired Alex Van Pelt and introduced in Ken Dorsey as offensive coordinator to assist form a revamped, unfold offense higher suited to Watson’s abilities. With Watson getting back from shoulder surgical procedure and an energetic participant all through spring exercises and coaching camp — the crew held him out of the preseason — there was hope his play could be nearer to his time with the Texans.
However by 5 video games, the Browns have fielded one of many worst offenses within the NFL. Cleveland is the one crew that has did not complete 300 yards in a recreation this season. The Browns have scored lower than 20 factors in all 5 video games, their longest streak to start out a season since 1999, in line with ESPN Analysis. And the offense has transformed 18% of its third downs, the fourth-worst conversion proportion by any crew in its first 5 video games of a season prior to now 45 seasons and worst for the reason that growth Texans of their first season in 2002.
“The offense goes to go so far as I’m going,” Watson mentioned after the Commanders recreation. “So, on the finish of the day, we’re not doing sufficient offensively. As a quarterback, you are taking all of the stress. You are taking all the warmth. You are taking all of the blame. I’ve obtained to seek out methods to carry all people else together with one another, [find out] how we are able to exit right here on Sundays and remove all of the errors which can be going to trigger us to get behind the 8-ball.”
Watson’s 21.0 complete QBR this season is the worst of all certified passers. His 20.7% off-target fee is third worst. And whereas Watson has been sacked a league-high 26 instances, he has invited stress at instances by holding the ball — his 2.95 seconds on common earlier than throwing is the sixth highest within the league.
Since buying and selling for Watson, the Browns have tried to bridge Stefanski’s system with Watson’s abilities. However up to now this season, it has resulted within the worst iteration of the signal-caller. Of 386 quarterbacks to document a minimum of 175 passes of their first 5 video games of a season, Watson ranks final in yards per try (4.8), in line with ESPN Analysis.
“I truly assume he is nonetheless obtained numerous the arm, expertise and skill, perhaps not fairly as cell because it was,” an NFC coach informed ESPN. “It simply seems like he is disjointed, and all the offense is disjointed. There does not look like numerous belief in what is going on on round him and that may result in unhealthy play actually quick. Individuals underestimate how essential that’s. I do not assume it is expertise or scheme, they simply aren’t on the identical web page.”
Accidents and inconsistencies round Watson have not helped. The offensive line has regressed and been in flux since coaching camp, as beginning tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin made their method again from extreme knee accidents that ended their 2023 seasons early. Wills has performed in two video games. Conklin has but to make his season debut. Proper guard Wyatt Teller was placed on injured reserve after Week 3 due to a knee sprain.
Operating again Nick Chubb simply returned to apply final week as he rehabbed final 12 months’s extreme knee harm. And Professional Bowl tight finish David Njoku sat out three straight video games due to a proper ankle sprain. Njoku returned Sunday however suffered a knee harm.
“To start the season, Kevin and Ken tried to include extra spread-type formations that Deshaun had obtained comfy with throughout the [2019-2020] seasons in Houston,” an AFC coach informed ESPN. “Permits him to make fast selections and make some unscripted first downs together with his legs. The accidents to the Browns’ offensive line and [Njoku] have brought on them to regulate.”
WATSON HAS SAID returning to Professional Bowl type is a matter of time and getting extra reps on the sphere. In the course of the first week of coaching camp, normal supervisor Andrew Berry mentioned the crew’s largest focus was ensuring Watson stayed wholesome.
“I believe the remainder will deal with itself,” Berry mentioned.
The Raiders recreation, albeit a loss, appeared like a potential turning level for Watson, who accomplished 24 of 32 passes for 176 yards, one landing and an interception. His 40.2 QBR was a season excessive.
A superbly positioned cross to Cooper bounced off his chest and was intercepted by Las Vegas, serving to put Cleveland in a 10-point gap. Later within the fourth quarter, Watson evaded a cornerback blitz and delivered a cross whereas being hit to Cooper for an 82-yard, go-ahead landing that was negated by a holding penalty. It was the kind of play Browns followers have seen in highlights of his Houston days — “Classic Watson” as many on social media have known as it — and had been craving for extra constantly in Cleveland.
On the offense’s last play of the sport, a fourth-and-3 from the 9-yard line, Watson was sacked earlier than releasing a cross (Cooper later mentioned he was the primary learn on the play and will have run a greater route).
What may have been a defining second in Watson’s Cleveland tenure as a substitute was one other irritating loss. Then got here the offense’s newest flop Sunday. Watson completed the Commanders recreation with an 8.5 QBR, his third begin with a complete QBR beneath 10 since becoming a member of the Browns, tied with Zach Wilson and Mac Jones for essentially the most by any beginning quarterback in that span.
As Watson has confronted criticism for the Browns’ offensive struggles, Cooper has come to Watson’s protection and did so once more after the loss to the Commanders.
“To be trustworthy, I do not assume Deshaun is the issue in any respect,” he mentioned. “I believe we are able to all simply play higher for him.”
A WEEK BEFORE the beginning of the 2024 season, the Browns restructured Watson’s contract to create cap area, changing $44.79 million of his $46 million base wage right into a signing bonus. Cleveland is already projected to be $52 million over the cap for the 2025 season, in line with the Roster Administration System. The Browns are anticipated to hold over nearly all of the extra area to stay cap compliant forward of the 2025 offseason, a crew supply informed ESPN. The transfer, although, created $172 million and $99 million lifeless cap hits in 2025 and 2026 if Cleveland have been to half methods with Watson.
Final offseason, the Denver Broncos took on a league-record $85 million lifeless cap cost to launch quarterback Russell Wilson in what is taken into account one of many worst trades in NFL historical past. Cleveland would double that lifeless cap hit to do away with Watson.
Stefanski has mentioned Watson will stay the Browns’ beginning quarterback — and Berry has spoken about preserving Watson round for a number of contracts — however Cleveland’s high-risk gamble turns into extra obvious as his poor play worsens.
“We have simply obtained to catch a rhythm,” Watson mentioned Sunday. “I believe that is the largest factor. We have simply obtained to seek out what are we nice at, what are we good at … [we’re] making an attempt to determine what kind of offense and identification we need to be at. However the time is ticking and we have to determine that out shortly.”
ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler contributed to this report.
