Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski insists he isn’t benching quarterback Deshaun Watson anytime quickly regardless of Watson’s struggles and the membership’s 1-4 document.
One unnamed NFC coach just lately spoke with ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi about all that went flawed for Watson and the Browns over the season’s first 5 weeks.
“I truly assume he is nonetheless obtained a number of the arm, expertise and talent, possibly not fairly as cell as [he] was once,” that coach mentioned about Watson. “It simply appears like he is disjointed, and your complete offense is disjointed. There would not look like a number of belief in what is going on on round him and that may result in unhealthy play actually quick. Individuals underestimate how essential that’s. I do not assume it is expertise or scheme, they simply aren’t on the identical web page.”
Watson made simply 12 regular-season begins for a number of causes from September 2021 by the 2023 marketing campaign. He suffered a major shoulder harm final fall, reportedly the rationale Cleveland changed offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt with Ken Dorsey this previous offseason. Dorsey was tasked with establishing an offense meant to “consolation” Watson, however the 29-year-old largely seemed out of types throughout his first 5 video games in that system.
In response to Professional Soccer Reference, Watson ended Week 5 ranked final within the NFL amongst certified gamers with a 21.0 adjusted QBR and a 31.2% passing success fee. ESPN stats present the Browns started Tuesday ranked thirtieth within the league with a mean of 15.8 factors scored per sport.
It is value noting that harm points impacted Cleveland’s offensive line earlier than Professional Bowl tight finish David Njoku went down with an ankle sprain in Week 1. Moreover, Watson and the Browns have been with out star operating again Nick Chubb since Week 2 of the 2023 marketing campaign.
“To start the season, Kevin and Ken tried to include extra spread-type formations that Deshaun had obtained comfy with in the course of the [2019-2020 seasons with the Houston Texans],” an unnamed AFC coach informed ESPN. “Permits him to make fast selections and make some unscripted first downs together with his legs. The accidents to the Browns’ offensive line and [Njoku] have precipitated them to regulate.”
These changes have not achieved Watson or the Browns any favors. Nonetheless, there stays no signal that Stefanski will go to backup Jameis Winston for Cleveland’s sport on the 2-2 Philadelphia Eagles this coming Sunday. As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Browns as 8.5-point underdogs for that matchup.
