Tag: Deshaun Watson

Eagles vs. Browns: Best photos from Philadelphia’s 20-16 win over Cleveland in Week 6

Best photos from Philadelphia Eagles 20-16 win over Cleveland Brown in Week 6

It wasn’t the prettiest win, but Philadelphia did enough to avoid an ugly post-bye week loss with a 20-16 victory over the 1-5 Browns in Week 6. On defense, Vic Fangio’s unit held Cleveland to 244 total yards and 3-12 on third down.  The Eagles’ rushing attack was stifled, but thanks to the return of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, Kellen Moore’s offense was able to amass 256 yards, passing 116 yards on the ground and explosive plays from their top two pass catchers. With preparation for the NFC East opener against the Giants set to begin, here are the top photos from the big win. ***

Report: Ownership not pressuring Stefanski to start Deshaun Watson

A new report suggests no pressure from ownership in the Browns’ decision to stick with their $230 million quarterback

The Cleveland Browns and head coach Kevin Stefanski, despite a league-worst output, have decided to stick it out with quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Many have thought ownership decided this, pressuring the head coach to make their $230 million investment work. However, Cleveland dot com’s Mary Kay Cabot has reported this may not be the case. In her latest Q&A, Cabot answers a question asking whether or not there is pressure from ownership to stick with Watson:

“No, Jimmy Haslam isn’t forcing Kevin Stefanski to play Deshaun Watson with the Browns at 1-4 and playoff hopes slipping away. Kevin Stefanski discusses big personnel decisions with GM Andrew Berry, the same way most NFL coaches do with their GMs. He also talks things over with Haslam and keeps him apprised on such monumental decisions. But the Browns would never force Stefanski to play someone that he didn’t want to play.”

Cabot then confirms what has already been reported over the last two and a half years since the trade as well: Haslam signed off on the trade, but it was general manager Andrew Berry who was at the forefront of the decision. He and Stefanski were in lockstep on that call.

With Watson struggling, how much longer will we see him under center for the Browns if it is truly Stefanski’s call? Could we see Jameis Winston against the Philadelphia Eagles if his struggles continue?

Deshaun Watson settles newest lawsuit; could he still be suspended?

The lawsuit is no longer active

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has settled the lawsuit that was brought against him about a month ago. The terms of the settlement, however, are confidential according to the victim’s attorney Tony Buzbee.

The new lawsuit is still under NFL investigation, but now that Watson settled the lawsuit independently, there is reason to believe the NFL may also push this case to the back of their to-do list and consider the matter finished.

The Browns would have the opportunity to void the remaining guarantees in the contract of Deshaun Watson, who is the NFL’s worst quarterback right now, if he were to be suspended from this case by the league. That does not look likely to happen moving forward.

Until the NFL hands down its ruling on the matter, one that is certainly likely to be watered down with this settlement, we do not have a final answer though. From Watson’s side of things, however, this matter is concluded.

Joe Flacco’s strong performance is just more salt on the wound

Just icing on the cake at this point

While the Clevland Browns quarterback woes continue with Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco is doing a fine job in Indianapolis.

Flacco started the season as the Colts’ backup quarterback behind the second-year gunslinger Anthony Richardson. After suffering a season-ending surgery last season, he finds himself again on the sideline while Joe Flacco lights it up for his team.

Flacco had a tremendous performance yesterday, completing 33 of his 44 passes with 359 yards and three passing touchdowns. Unfortunately, The Colts did not win, but that had little to do with how Joe Flacco performed. The former Browns quarterback has said that he was not offered a contract by Cleveland to return after his exciting stint in 2023.

While many Browns fans were pushing to resign the veteran, it was clear that Deshaun Watson would be the Browns starting quarterback once he returned from his injury. Despite being happy for the former Cleveland Brown, it’s difficult to watch our recent quarterbacks flourish while the Browns try to solve the issues theirs has.

The Browns are sticking with Deshaun Watson for whatever reason

And around and around and around and around we go.

The Cleveland Browns refuse to make a change at quarterback, sticking with Deshaun Watson despite an abysmal start to his 2024 season and an underwhelming tenure with the team.

After their humiliating loss to the Washington Commanders, a game they were blown out in by a score of 34-14, head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked about the status of Watson as his starting quarterback. The head coach reiterated the team’s commitment to Watson, placing the blame back on himself to right the ship on the offensive side of the ball.

Against the Commanders, Watson went a measly 15-of-28 passing for 125 yards and one garbage-time touchdown to tight end Jordan Akins. He was sacked seven times in this game, creating much of the pressure on his own.

Only two quarterbacks in the NFL has a lower Expected Points Added (EPA) per play than Watson, and one is Bryce Young who was benched by the Carolina Panthers. The other is Will Levis, who is on the verge of being benched by the Tennessee Titans.

Browns Deshaun Watson

His completion percentage above expected is also in the bottom part of the league. That showed in this game as Watson could not connect down the field and even missed a wide-open Amari Cooper on a boundary throw in this loss to the Commanders.

Deshaun Watson is at the bottom of the NFL in ESPN QBR. Lower than Young. Lower than Levis. So why on earth are the Browns supporting such abysmal quarterback play after going out and getting perhaps the best backup quarterback on the market in free agency?

Former NFL players have seen enough of Watson. Ryan Fitzpatrick advocated for Jameis Winston on X (formerly known as Twitter). Future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski called for it on the halftime show on the FOX broadcast. Everyone is well aware of how Watson is playing.

Except for the Browns.

Maybe this is a call above the head coach’s head, but if Stefanski isn’t allowed to run his offense with a quarterback capable of it instead of catering to the NFL’s worst quarterback right now, then why would he even stay in his post?

The Browns need to figure it out fast as their season is already likely over. And the starting point seems like a pretty glaringly obvious one.

Why did Deshaun Watson walk off on 4th down play? Fans figured it out.

This makes a little more sense.

It was the play that left Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski in disbelief: with the Browns facing a fourth-and-goal from the 21, Deshaun Watson started walking off the field to take a delay of game penalty (and not a timeout).

Now, why did that happen? Turns out there was a perfectly good explanation that fans figured out: Watson realized there were too many players in the huddle, which meant the team was going to take a penalty anyway.

It’s a more logical explanation for what happened, but it’s an awful, sloppy moment in a season full of them for this disaster of a Browns team.

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The Browns cannot be taken seriously until they bench Deshaun Watson

Until the Browns decide to move on, it is going to be more of the same.

How much longer can the Cleveland Browns keep the Deshaun Watson experiment alive?

Forget about the cap space, forget about the dead money, forget about the implications for a moment. How can head coach Kevin Stefanski continue to go into his locker room and look his veteran leaders in the eye as he trots out a quarterback they have little hope of building anything sustainable with offensively?

The veterans are going to quit. Perhaps they have already started to given the performance of wide receiver Amari Cooper and more. What incentive does defensive end Myles Garrett have to continue to play through injury? Why would Nick Chubb want to rush back onto the field if this is the product the Browns are going to put on the field?

After another abysmal showing against the Washington Commanders, how can Stefanski continue to put his job security on the line for Watson? Does he have a message from someone above him to stick with the quarterback he is becoming visibly and obviously upset with on the sideline?

It has not worked out with Watson. And someone will more than likely lose their job for it. But why does Stefanski have to make himself that martyr after running a fluent offense with a Day 3 rookie, a practice squad player, and a 40-year-old off the couch a year ago?

They will remain coy in their postgame press conference, but that locker room cannot be in a good place. And there is nothing the Browns can do about it to win it back until they start with their biggest mistake.

Their season is likely already over after a 1-4 start. Maybe they want to see it through with Watson at this point because the best that could happen is a shiny draft pick to potentially draft his heir apparent.

This, however, is a sure way to lose the respect of the veterans in the locker room and those who consume the product.

Too little too late: Browns score first touchdown late to cut lead to 21

The most demoralizing touchdown ever

After being unable to find the end zone through the first three quarters, the Cleveland Browns finally scored to cut the lead to 34-13. Quarterback Deshaun Watson connected with tight end Jordan Akins for a 10-yard completion on a 4th-and-seven attempt for their first touchdown of the day.

This game was over quickly, with the Commanders taking a 31-6 lead in the third quarter, but Cleveland managed a garbage-time score to find some sort of positive. Running back Jerome Ford rushed for 25 yards on the drive, including a 16-yard run for his longest of the day.

Watson completed all three passes on the drive for 22 yards, with the two biggest plays going to Akins. The Browns would have had their first third-down conversion of the game, but the Commanders committed a pre-snap penalty, giving them the needed yardage. Overall, poor offensive execution on first and second downs put Cleveland in tough third-down situations that were too difficult to overcome.

Kevin Stefanski was in disbelief as Deshaun Watson defiantly walked off the field before a 4th-down play

He completely quit on his team.

By all accounts, the Deshaun Watson trade is among the worst we’ve ever seen in the NFL. And on Sunday, it managed to look ever worse for the Cleveland Browns.

Through three quarters, the Browns were absolutely getting dismantled at the hands of the Washington Commanders. The game wasn’t competitive, but at some point, every team still wants to put a couple good drives together and take some positives out of a bad game. So, when the Browns faced a fourth-and-goal situation down 21, it made sense for Kevin Stefanski to keep the offense on the field.

Watson, though, had different ideas.

Watson walked off the field to head to the sidelines instead of staying out there for the fourth-down play. This forced the Browns to take a delay penalty and to settle for a field goal, making it 24-6. While neither Stefanski nor Watson have discussed why things unfolded the way they did, it may have been because Cleveland had too many players in the huddle and were headed toward a penalty either way.

Either way, it was another embarrassing Browns moment in a season already full of them.

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Former NFL players begin pushing for Jameis Winston

It’s not just fans anymore…

The Cleveland Browns are getting beat in devastating, season-ending fashion by the Washington Commanders to the point where even former players are beginning to chant for the team to bench Deshaun Watson for Jameis Winston.

Chief among them? Winston’s former teammate in Tampa Bay, Ryan Fitzpatrick. Taking to social media, Fitzpatrick posted a gif of his former teammate, a player he backed up with the Buccaneers.

Fitzpatrick was not the only one, however, as future Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski also advocated for the move during FOX’s halftime show.

Watson sat 8-of-18 passing at the half and got away with a few passes that could have ended up in turnovers as the Browns trail 24-3 with 30 minutes still left to play.

To start the second half, however, Watson is still on the field and Winston is on the sideline. Will the Browns look to make the move sooner rather than later?