Any momentum Deshaun Watson built during the offseason came to an abrupt halt on a painful Sunday afternoon.
The Cleveland Browns offense was held to 272 total yards, most of which came in garbage time when the score was in doubt. Cleveland lost 34-10, with the touchdown coming with 2 minutes left in the game.
With Watson continuing to struggle once again for the Browns’ offense, speculation about him settling in favor of Shedeur Sanders will only continue. If the offense struggles next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Watson’s bench could be closer to reality.
The Jaguars defense was wreaking havoc against the Browns offense early and early in the game. Watson struggled early with a fumble and an interception in the first half, completely neutralizing the potential of the Browns’ explosive game.
Watson’s efforts didn’t stop in the second half as Cleveland’s revamped offense continued to hesitate down the field. While Watson played slightly better overall, he completed 16-of-22 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown and an interception each. Again, most of those numbers came late in the game when the score was in doubt.
Watson’s costly interception in the first quarter put the Browns offense in a hole early. Cleveland trailed 24-0 at halftime, and the Jaguars went on a 31-0 run in the first 3 minutes of the third quarter.
The rest of the Browns offense struggled to generate momentum. Running back Quinshon Judkins was held to 25 yards rushing, while rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion led all receivers with four receptions for 43 yards.
Deshaun Watson was pressured early and often Sunday in Jacksonville. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
If Watson is benched in the coming weeks, all eyes will turn to second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders to see if he can secure the starting spot for the remainder of the season.
Sanders would eventually get the start after falling to Watson in a quarterback battle in training camp. As a rookie last year, he started seven games, throwing for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a 56.6% completion rate.
Whenever Sanders’ name is called, he’ll likely only have this season to prove he has what it takes to be the franchise quarterback of the future.
