Browns fans have been patient as Deshaun Watson shook off rust in his four starts after a 700-day layoff. It's time for Watson to reward that patience.
Browns fans to Deshaun Watson: ‘Well, we’re waiting’
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
LANDOVER, MD
Four downs on Browns (6-9) v. Washington Commanders (7-7-1)
First down: Is this the game?
Deshaun Watson has said everyone will know when “it clicks” for him, when enough of his former game returns after his long layoff and he resembles the quarterback who earned three straight AFC Pro Bowl honors with the Houston Texans. To that, Browns fans might quote the amusingly annoying Judge Smails from the 1980 cult classic Caddyshack, who trolled Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield) on the tee during their high-stakes match, “Well … we’re waiting.” If the Browns want to produce one offensive masterpiece under Watson to lift their bedraggled spirits through another long, cold offseason, it better happen against the Commanders – because we all know it won’t happen in Pittsburgh in the season finale. Watson, and Kevin Stefanski, are out of excuses. This will be Watson’s fifth game – two games past the length of a preseason. The weather is expected to be perfect – 60 degrees and dry. The Browns are missing nobody on offense – nobody! To be sure, the Commanders pose a formidable challenge on defense. And a win is absolutely crucial to them. But if the Browns don’t produce more than the norm with Watson at the helm – one offensive touchdown in each of the last three games; none in the other one – the fan base will continue to be fractured into another offseason. It seems the Browns have sacrificed their “run identity” on offense and shifted their focus to developing Watson over the past month. It’s time to see some dividends from that analytics-driven directive.
Second down: The four aces.
Off the field, the Commanders are either a bad joke or an insult to their fans, heritage and brand. But on the field, they’ve done some good things. One is invest first-round draft choices in their defensive line. Starting in 2017, the Commanders used first-round picks successively on tackle Jonathan Allen (17th overall), tackle Daron Payne (13th overall), end Montez Sweat (26th overall), and end Chase Young (2nd overall). Injuries to Young, in particular, have kept this modern day fearsome foursome from fully gelling. But Young is now back for a second game in a row after a 17-month knee injury. This unit is what the Commanders are all about. Why they are seventh in defensive rush success rate, eighth in opponents’ completion percentage, seventh in passing yards allowed, third in quarterback hits, ninth in sacks per pass attempt and sixth in tackles for loss. There are two pairs of defensive tackles recognized as the finest in the NFL. One belongs to the Philadelphia Eagles – Javon Hargrave and Fletcher Cox. The other is Allen and Payne. Allen and Payne have 17 sacks between them; Hargrave and Cox have 16. “The skill and the talent, they are all good players,” said Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. “They are big bodies. They are powerful and physical with twitch. It is a good combination. They have obviously built that team through that defensive line on that side of the ball, and they are playing at an extremely high level.” Regarding the interior linemen of the Commanders, Allen is 6-3 and 300 pounds and Payne is 6-3 and 320. The Browns’ starting tackles are 6-4 and 291 (Taven Bryan) and 6-4 and 303 (Jordan Elliott).
Third down: Carson came and Carson Wentz.
What a bold move by Commanders coach Ron Rivera to turn the team over to Carson Wentz with the playoffs on the line. Backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke really saved the Washington season when he took over for injured Wentz (fracture right ring finger) with the team at 2-4 and proceeded to win five of his first six starts. At 7-5, the Commanders were in the NFC playoff field and Heinicke became a popular figure in the locker room. But the Commanders went 0-2-1 thereafter, and as Wentz healed, Rivera and his staff decided that the clock had struck midnight on Heinicke’s Cinderella ride and Wentz’s bigger arm was needed to maximize playmaking receivers Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Jahan Dotson. Rivera clearly explained his decision to his team and all are on board. But the fact is the pressure is on Wentz to justify Rivera’s faith in him. If Wentz fails, he will be cast aside by a third team in three years, and the Commanders will have bungled away an NFC playoff berth.
Fourth down: What to play for?
Any narrative that the Browns’ final two games are meaningless is way off base. First, Watson has to produce a big offensive game before season’s end. Second, one more loss guarantees the Browns a worse record than Stefanski’s second season (8-9) and secures the sixth double-digit loss season in 10 years of the Jimmy Haslam ownership, and the fourth in seven seasons with former MLB analytics guru Paul DePodesta essentially running the organization without accountability like the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain. Nobody really knows what Haslam may do if the Browns lose their last two games and finish 6-11. But that record would make it hard to reconcile little or no change in the way the Browns run their football operations.
The pick: Browns 24, Commanders 16.
My record: 6-9.
