Super Bowl champ rips Browns for staying course with Deshaun Watson after latest abysmal game
Deshaun Watson put together another abysmal performance as starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, this time resulting in a 20-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Watson, who was traded to the Browns in 2022 and agreed to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract upon the deal, was 16 of 24 with 168 passing yards and was sacked five times. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass and neither did the entirety of the Browns’ offense.
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts embraces Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson after their game on Oct. 13, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Cleveland has yet to score at least 20 points this season. ESPN’s Field Yates pointed out the Browns were the first team in 10 years to fail to hit the 20-point plateau in their first six games of the regular season.
With no hope in sight, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski fielded questions about the starting quarterback situation. He was adamant that Watson would remain the starting quarterback.
Mitchell Schwartz, a retired Super Bowl champion who won a ring with the Kansas City Chiefs during his career as an NFL offensive lineman, scrutinized the Browns for keeping Watson as the starter, a notion felt by much of the Browns’ fan base.
“It’s incredibly s—-y to do this to the rest of the team,” Schwartz wrote on X. “(Offensive lineman) Joel Bitonio is out there every week playing through who knows what and has to wreck his body when they have no chance of being good b/c of the QB. Myles Garrett is playing in pain every week. Feel for everyone else there.”
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson scrambles with the ball as Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean defends during the second half Sunday. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Schwartz made clear that he didn’t think the blame was on Stefanski, but rather the person who is making the decisions above him.
“Whoever is doing it is the one doing the disservice to the rest of the roster,” Schwartz added.
Watson has gone from a top five, or at least top 10, quarterback when he was with the Houston Texans to, statistically, one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL.
He hasn’t thrown for at least 200 yards in a single game since Nov. 12, 2023, the last game he played that season.
He hasn’t thrown for at least 300 yards since Jan. 3, 2021, the final game he appeared in with the Texans. At that time, 300 passing yards was routine for him. He hit the mark 10 times in the 2020 season.
“We’re putting ourselves in the danger zone for not being able to accomplish what we want to accomplish,” Watson said after the game.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson warms up before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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With a team built for the postseason, another loss would certainly crush any chance of getting back to the playoffs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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