Deshaun Watson deserves a mulligan for his first game with the Browns. But he has to get a lot better in Game 2 against Cincinnati. (Cleveland Browns)
Second thoughts: Deshaun Watson gets a mulligan for a tough first game in 700 days, but he has to be a lot better against Cincinnati
You must have an active subscription to read this story.
Click Here to subscribe Now!
Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Second thoughts on Browns’ 27-14 win over Houston Texans …
1. The Browns got away with an ugly win in Houston despite Deshaun Watson playing his worst game as a pro. It was the first time in his career that Watson failed to lead his offense to at least one touchdown, and his 53.4 passer rating was the lowest in 57 career NFL starts, counting three in the postseason. Yes, it was his first game in 700 days because of his own actions -- his demand in early 2021 to the Texans to be traded, which resulted in the team making him inactive for the entire 2021 season; and an 11-game NFL suspension after the trade in March to the Browns for violations of the league personal conduct policy. In addition to the long layoff, Watson suffered through an emotional return to his former stomping grounds worsened by a circus atmosphere created by his past indiscretions in Houston. For instance, the wife of Texans owner Cal McNair turned her back on Watson when Watson approached the couple on the field to offer a handshake before the game. That had to hurt. All of which allows Watson a mulligan. “That was the first one and the first one in a long time, so we knew that there was going to be a little bit of playing through that,” coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday. “I think he gets that. He will get more comfortable with the more game reps that he gets. I think all of those things that you look at offensively and all of those things that you look at with Deshaun, they are all correctable.” Watson needs to be a lot better immediately because the Browns’ season is on the line Sunday in Cincinnati. A loss and their post-season hopes are extinguished. A win keeps them alive another week.
2. The Bengals are the worst opponent and the best opponent for the Browns at this critical juncture. Worst because the defending AFC champions are finding their stride after four wins in a row and with premier receiver Ja’Marr Chase back on the field after a hip injury. Best because the Browns appear to be in Joe Burrow’s head. Inexplicably, the Bengals’ quarterback fell to 0-4 against the Browns after they trucked him on Halloween night, 32-13. Burrow is the only QB to defeat knighted Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes three games in a row, but he can’t beat the Browns? I asked Stefanski about his team’s hex over Burrow. “I don’t know,” he said. “I think it is a good question. Specifically to Cincinnati, there is familiarity on both sides really. They know how we play offensively, defensively and special teams. Obviously, we know the same. It is a great matchup.” Burrow hasn’t been awful in his four losses to the Browns – 68.3 percent passing, 8 TDs v. 4 interceptions, and an overall passer rating of 92.6. But in the Browns’ last two victories, Joe Woods’ defense forced five turnovers and sacked Burrow 10 times. The thing to remember, however, is that in Burrow’s four losses, the Browns outscored the Bengals by an average score of 36-23. So it hasn’t just been defense. Baker Mayfield outdueled Burrow three times and Jacoby Brissett did it earlier this season. Can Watson do it in his second game in 707 days? The heat is on him. A key factor is Nick Chubb. The running back was active for three of the four wins against Burrow. Chubb rushed for 124 yards, 137 and 101, and scored six touchdowns.
3. GM Andrew Berry had a good day Sunday in Houston. Donovan Peoples-Jones, perhaps Berry’s best value pick (sixth round, 2020) in his three Browns drafts, had the play of the game with a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown – the first by a Browns player since 2015 and only the second in the NFL this year. And linebacker Tony Fields (fifth round, 2021) had the game of his life. Fields stripped a fumble of Houston quarterback Kyle Allen, which was returned for a touchdown by Denzel Ward; recorded the first interception of his career and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown; and capped it all off with a recovery of a fumble by Houston punt returner Desmond King, leading to a Browns’ field goal. So Fields had a big hand in 17 points. Talk about efficiency. He did all that in only 33 defensive snaps (out of 65 total in the game). “It was a great game,” Fields said on Sunday. “Blessed to be here and blessed to be part of the Cleveland Brown organization. I'm happy and looking forward to the next game.”
4. Linebacker Sione Takitaki’s season is over after he suffered an ACL tear. The tear occurred when Takitaki returned to play after an initial injury to the knee. This one really sucks. Takitaki, a third-round pick in John Dorsey’s last Browns’ draft in 2019, was playing his best football after moving to middle linebacker the past five games. He’s been one of the team’s core players on special teams for four years. Takitaki’s rookie contract is up after this season. His entry into free agency is now ruined by the knee injury. The Browns should have re-signed him to an extension before the injury. What they should do now is negotiate a contract in good faith and secure him for multiple years. Takitaki has earned that. Deion Jones and Jordan Kunaszyk figure to get more time as a result of Takitaki's loss.
5. Stefanski insisted Jacoby Brissett would continue to be an important contributor after giving way to Watson as starting quarterback, and that held true in Watson’s first game. Brissett was at Watson’s side on the bench when the offense was off the field, supporting and encouraging him during a very rough first game. Brissett also was used on one play on the Browns’ third possession. He was discreetly inserted into the game on a third-and-1 situation at the Houston 46 – an obvious QB sneak possibility. But when Brissett saw the Texans loading up to stop a sneak, he correctly checked off to the alternative play of a handoff to Harrison Bryant coming around on a tight end jet sweep. The play went for eight yards and a first down on the Browns’ offensive series, though it ended on Watson’s interception in the end zone. Look for Stefanski to continue to keep Brissett engaged in games. “We will see as we go forward each game what that game calls for and what that gameplan calls for,” Stefanski said. “Jacoby was a huge, huge help [Sunday]. He was awesome on the sideline, like he always is. He was a help to I know Deshaun and the rest of that offense. That is part of his role and picking us up on the sideline. I thought he did a great job.”
