A Glimpse of Watson’s Upside
The Cleveland Browns are 2-1. They should be 3-0, but hey we will take it. The Bengals have been to two straight AFC Championship games, and one Super Bowl in the last two seasons and we absolutely embarrassed them in week 1. This Titans team is coached by Mike Vrabel, who is widely known as one of the best head coaches in the game. These wins were not against the Cardinals and Texans guys, these were two very impressive wins against two very impressive teams. While our defense ranks at the very top of the league and has clearly led us to these victories, we should be giving some of the credit to our heavily criticized quarterback, Deshaun Watson.
Watson was a superstar in Houston, but he wanted out after the Texans became a dumpster fire of an organization. Shortly after, came twenty plus lawsuits claiming Watson had taken advantage of numerous women sexually, while receiving massages. Two years later, the Browns saw an opportunity and gave up a king's ransom to get him, sending three first-round picks, two second-round picks, and the leagues largest guaranteed contract to obtain him. Many people thought the Browns overpaid, but Watson could slowly be proving them wrong.
Watson was sensational against the Titans this week, throwing for 289 yards and two touchdowns, and running for another 16 yards. He showed off his arm strength, accuracy, and mobility, making plays all over the field. He connected with Amari Cooper for a 47-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and then hit Jerome Ford for a 33-yard score in the third quarter. He also spread the ball around to nine different receivers, including rookies Elijah Moore and Donovan Peoples-Jones, who both had 49 yards receiving.
Watson is clearly the leader of this Browns offense now, and he has a lot of weapons to work with. Cooper is a stud wideout who can beat any cornerback in the league. Ford is a versatile running back who can catch and run with power and speed. Moore and Peoples-Jones are promising young talents who can stretch the field. David Njoku and Harrison Bryant are reliable tight ends who can block and catch. And Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong Jr. are solid backups who can spell Ford in this absence of Nick Chubb.
The Browns also have a nasty defense that is proving they can shut down any opponent. They held the Titans to just three points and 94 total yards of offense. They sacked Ryan Tannehill four times and intercepted him twice. They absolutely stuffed Derrick Henry, who had only 20 yards on 11 carries, that’s an insane 1.9 average! They blanketed DeAndre Hopkins, who had only 48 yards on three catches. They were relentless, physical, and dominant.
The Browns are looking like a legit contender in the AFC, and they have a favorable schedule ahead of them. They face the Ravens, Bengals, Raiders, and Chargers in their next four games, all of which are winnable. If they keep playing like they did against the Titans, they could be 5-2 or even 6-1 by the time they face the Steelers again at home in Week 8.
It’s one good game, so It’s hard to be overly confident in Watson turning the corner, but this game against Tennessee was some of the best quarterback play we have seen in a Browns uniform for a very long time. I officially have hope that we can see the upside we all know DeShaun Watson can bring at footballs most important position. The Ravens will certainly be a test for this offense in week 4. Go Browns!
