Because the Cleveland Browns went backwards and forwards with the Denver Broncos on “Monday Evening Soccer,” Deshaun Watson caught strays all through the night time, not solely from followers on social media however from Troy Aikman whereas calling the sport.
“I get it, this yr hasn’t been what individuals thought coming in, however the albatross is Deshaun Watson,” Aikman mentioned. “For those who go to Jameis Winston earlier within the yr, does this look totally different? As a result of I might say the defensive struggles, in not less than a small half, have needed to do with how inept the offense has been shifting the soccer.”
What’s exceptional is that Aikman mentioned this after Winston had already thrown the primary of his two pick-sixes of the night time. Jameis was within the means of going full Jameis, and a Corridor of Fame quarterback nonetheless appeared on the scenario and mentioned, “Yeah, that is higher than what the Browns had earlier than.”
For those who didn’t keep up late, the Browns had been in it until the very finish, when Winston’s second pick-six with lower than two minutes to go gave Denver a 41-32 victory. However the journeyman was additionally answerable for a career-high 497 passing yards and 4 touchdowns, getting monster video games from former Bronco Jerry Jeudy (235 yards!), Elijah Moore and David Njoku.
The Browns had all this plus Amari Cooper when the season started. But Watson was the person in command of working the unit, and admittedly he continued to play just like the worst quarterback within the NFL. The Browns went 1-6 when he began, scored 18 of their lone win, and by no means had greater than 17 in every of their losses; 4 of these losses got here by simply seven or fewer factors.
It’s utterly truthful for Browns followers to surprise how the season might need performed out otherwise had Watson been benched sooner.
In mid-October an ESPN insider lent credence to the idea that Browns possession stubbornly stood in the way in which of a benching, writing, “Any choice to bench Watson would inevitably contain crew proprietor Jimmy Haslam and basic supervisor Andrew Berry, and they should give Watson superfluous possibilities to rediscover even a semblance of his outdated sport, because of the contract.”
The very subsequent sport, Watson ruptured his Achilles. It was his second straight yr with a season-ending damage, which feels just like the soccer gods serving retribution to the Cleveland entrance workplace for mortgaging the long run to amass a quarterback who had settled a bevy of sexual assault allegations and handing him a totally assured $230 million.
I say retribution to the entrance workplace particularly, as a result of Browns followers, of all individuals, don’t deserve these what-ifs and teases of success. Cleveland misplaced Nick Chubb in Week 2 of final yr, began 5 totally different quarterbacks, and nonetheless grabbed a wild card for the second time in 4 seasons. In 5 video games with out Watson this yr, the Browns have overwhelmed division rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh and averaged 21.8 factors after Watson had them farting out 15.6 ppg.
I don’t must recite fancy stats so that you can know the Browns have appeared their finest the previous two years when Joe Flacco or Winston was underneath heart, and so they’ve been abominable to look at when Watson has been in management.
Am I advocating for Winston to be named QB1 of the Browns in 2025? Hell no. Monday’s opponent, 8-5 Denver, ought to present that good issues come from drafting the correct quarterback (after years and years of making an attempt) makes all of the distinction. Bo Nix is giving the Broncos precisely what they want on the place, and although already 24, he’ll be on a rookie deal for the foreseeable future.
A QB on a rookie deal: That’s most likely the Browns’ finest path to construct a 2025 contender whereas managing the “albatross” that’s Deshaun Watson.
