Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken said Monday he expects Deshaun Watson to be the starting quarterback for Sunday.‘s game at Tampa Bay.
Watson made his first start in 23 months on Sunday‘In Jacksonville’s season opener, and Cleveland’s offense didn’t last until the game was well underway. Watson threw an interception on the first series and the Browns had just five first downs in the first half, but Monken didn’t bench Watson, who threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass.
Watson was named the starter on August 24 After the final against Shedhar Sanders, in which neither rider stood out, and Watson‘The first game was action‘Really inspiring.
Great plays from the Browns @ Jaguars
Monken did nothing after Sunday‘s game, he said his focus was on the day‘Events leading up to Jaguar‘ They won 34-10. Monken said Sunday that it was “unfair” to pin the loss solely on Watson and that the Browns “could have called the play better, certainly could have played better around him.”
So the Browns’ surprising triple whammy of Watson in the final year of his contract continues. On Monday, Monken said his tendency to stick with Watson was confirmed “when I watched the tape” of the season opener. Despite an early interception and the start of the offense as a whole, Watson said he didn’t play in the interim.
“I liked him last week of practice, and I think he’s going to keep getting better,” Monken said.
The Browns trailed 34-3 after three quarters in Jacksonville, gaining 145 of their 272 yards in the fourth. Watson threw a 46-yard pass to rookie Denzel Boston with 1:52 left for Cleveland’s only touchdown. Watson finished 16-for-22 for 205 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He was fired five times.
In seven starts in 2024, Watson surpassed 200 passing yards in a game. He missed all of last season while recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon twice. The first injury ended the 2024 season in Week 7.
After Sunday’s season opener, Watson has gone 9-11 as Cleveland’s starter since the 2022 trade in which the Browns sent three first-round picks to Houston to give Watson a fully guaranteed $230 million contract.
The Browns traded Mayfield to Carolina in the summer of 2022, replacing Baker Mayfield with Watson. A three-year extension was signed He will play against Tampa Bay and Watson for the first time since the trade. Mayfield backs Carolina up against Cleveland in the 2022 season opener.
Monken said he chose Watson to be the Browns’ starter because he wanted to play a quarterback that gave the team a good chance to move the ball and score points. That didn’t happen in Jacksonville, but Monken reiterated Monday that he believes Watson gives them the best chance to win.
Watson’s seven years of NFL experience gave him a leg up on the competition, and Monken believed that experience would help the Browns start the season with a series of road games.
But the offensive operation was less smooth in Jacksonville, and after that The home fans booed Watson In his lone preseason stint in Cleveland, Watson may have one last chance to show improvement and back up Monken’s faith before the Browns open their Week 3 game against Carolina.
