Dawgs By Nature
Deshaun Watson to remain the starter for the Browns
The Cleveland Browns are 1-4, tied for the worst record in the NFL and have had one of the worst passing offenses in the entire NFL. The problems are far more complicated than just blaming QB Deshaun Watson as the offensive line has played terribly, the skill players have dropped a lot of passes and the new system doesn’t seem to be working for the players on the team.
All and all, the start of the 2024 Browns season might be the worst fan experience since “The Return” in 1999.
With Jameis Winston waiting in the wings, Watson’s struggles have led to calls from fans and media to make a change at quarterback. While Cleveland’s starting quarterback played fine in Week 4, the loss to the Washington Commanders was a pathetic showing for everyone on the offense.
After the game, HC Kevin Stefanski (who seemed to get frustrated with Watson in the third quarter) addressed the plan at quarterback:
At a base level, Stefanski is not wrong. Everything about the offense has been bad, not just Watson. That has compounded things overall for the team on that side of the ball. No running game makes throwing the ball more difficult. Poor protection makes throwing the ball more difficult.
On the other hand, Watson is paid to lift the ships around him. The trade assets and cap space allocated to the quarterback require that he be able to take the team to another level. Even a Watson apologist would say that he has not done that.
Inserting Winston does not fix the other problems but it could give the team a spark. The two quarterbacks play the game differently, see the game differently and look to succeed in different ways. Even if Watson isn’t the sole reason for the Browns offense is struggling, every option should be on the table including making a switch at quarterback.
Instead, for whatever reason (ownership, doubling/tripling down on the trade decision, the contract, etc), Cleveland’s offense will look pretty much the same next week. Hoping that RB Nick Chubb and OL Jack Conklin fix everything is foolish especially after the performance against the bad Commanders defense this week.
Why do you think the Browns are sticking with Watson instead of going to Winston? What moves would you make (realistically) going into Week 6?
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