Deshaun Watson looked uncomfortable from the start in his first game since breaking his shoulder in November, when Cleveland was crushed 33-17 by the Dallas Cowboys in the season opener and the quarterback was booed by Browns fans.
This was not the comeback Watson or the Browns had hoped for, as the 28-year-old quarterback tries to get his career back on track after starting just 12 times over the past two seasons due to an NFL suspension and shoulder surgery.
Cleveland’s revamped offense was a real eye-catcher. Watson, who signed a $230 million contract with the Browns in 2022, spent much of the day running away from Dallas defenders as his offensive line was missing both starting tackles and struggled to keep its quarterback upright. He was sacked six times and the Cowboys were credited with 17 hits against Watson.
“Yes, he got hit way too many times,” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “We can’t let that happen to him. He fought like crazy, and the football team fought like crazy until the end. But the bottom line is that we need to protect our quarterback better.”
Watson also took several hard hits while running after the bag collapsed. He said his operated shoulder held up well, but Watson said he couldn’t assess his physical condition until the adrenaline wore off.
It was not too early for him to address a poor performance that had led to boos from Cleveland fans in the first half and a mass exodus in the third quarter.
“We’re not the type of guys that make excuses,” Watson said. “Some people say that contributed a lot to it, you know, my injury, the time I missed. But at the end of the day, once you’re on the field, you’ve got to perform, you’ve got to perform. We didn’t do that overall. And yeah, it showed.”
Watson didn’t play in the preseason as the Browns decided to keep him as healthy as possible. The long layoff certainly affected his timing. Watson missed some easy throws, was hesitant on others and never got into a rhythm.
Cleveland’s offense, revamped by Stefanski and new coordinator Ken Dorsey, sputtered badly in the first half. The Browns managed just one first down and gained just 54 yards in the first 30 minutes. Watson completed 24 of 45 passes for 169 yards with two interceptions and a touchdown.
It was ugly, but Watson said the outing didn’t shake his confidence.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “I’ll always be Deshaun Watson, no matter who says otherwise. We all have days like that when we play this type of game, and that’s just part of what comes with it. That’s part of the job. And especially in my position, there’s a lot that’s given, a lot that’s asked.”
After the game, Watson sat quietly at his locker. His father died Friday, and Watson said a former teammate died Saturday. He said the Browns told him he didn’t have to play.
“Football is definitely something you have to take very, very seriously and it’s our job, it’s our career,” Watson said. “But you know, there are other things that are more important than this. It’s been a long week and they gave me the opportunity to go home, but I told them I wanted to be here with my guys.”
