The offseason is a fantastic time to reflect on the long and absurd NFL season. The clarity provided by hindsight is a powerful tool in the chaotic nature of the season when fans live and die with each passing week. This is the perfect time to grade the play of the Cleveland Browns, specifically Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, and the rest of the quarterbacks.
The quarterback room deserves a D+ after their collective performance this season. The five quarterbacks could not get on the same page as the rest of the offense. Without consistency, the offense faltered in the face of adversity.
The Browns had one of the worst passing offenses in football. The quarterbacks threw for 3,693 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions on 624 pass attempts. Their -0.131 dropback EPA ranked in the bottom five of the NFL.
Joe Flacco had the best statistical output of the quarterbacks. Deshaun Watson was the better quarterback, per analytics. He held the highest EPA and completion percentage over expected.’ Rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and veteran P.J. Walker were among the worst quarterbacks in the NFL.
To the credit of the multiple quarterbacks, they managed games to keep the team battling before leading them to victory in clutch moments. The defense did a fantastic job in giving the Browns’ quarterbacks a giant margin for error. However, the quarterbacks pulled through more often than not.
Here are my grades for the Browns’ quarterbacks this season.
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