Will we see Deshaun Watson handing off against the Texans' 32nd-ranked run defense, or will Kevin Stefanski let him chuck the ball around in his first Browns' appearance? (Cleveland Browns)
Browns postpone Deshaun Watson’s first media appearance as an active player
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.
Takeaways from Browns practice and interviews …
Deshaun Watson’s first official day on the job as Browns starting quarterback was uneventful except for one thing: He didn’t address the media.
A mandatory press availability for every starting quarterback usually takes place on Wednesday of each practice week. Watson appeared briefly in the locker room during the period open to media, but the Browns did not provide him for the routine Q&A banter with media.
Of course, nothing is routine with Watson as the Browns carefully re-acclimate him into their workplace after an 11-week NFL suspension for violations of the league personal conduct policy.
Why is Watson’s first media appearance as an active player significant?
The last time Watson spoke publicly on Aug. 18 he triggered a firestorm of controversy by not accepting responsibility for actions that were classified as “predatory” and “sexual assault” by independent officer Sue L. Robinson. Those actions resulted in 26 civil lawsuits filed by massage therapists. All but one has been settled by Watson and his lawyer or thrown out.
“I have always stood on my innocence, and I always said that I never assaulted anyone or disrespected anyone, and I am continuing to stand on that,” Watson said on Aug. 18.
Watson’s statements contributed to the league’s insistence that Watson undergo behavioral counseling as a condition of reinstatement from suspension. Now that the league has determined Watson complied with all conditions of his suspension, Watson’s accusers and many others are curious to hear if mandatory counseling changed his tone.
Browns VP of communications Peter John-Baptiste did not give a reason why Watson did not address the media on Wednesday. He said it could happen before Sunday’s game in Houston.
There’s a buzz
Teammates seemed genuinely excited about Watson finally taking his spot as the Browns’ starting quarterback.
“We’re all excited. We’ve all waited a long time for him to come back. We have to go out there and do the work and not be distracted by anything,” said running back Nick Chubb.
“He’s a great player. You can’t go wrong with great players. Putting him in is going to be good for us,” said cornerback Denzel Ward.
“It is an excitement, for sure,” said linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. “We have a diverse team. Watson provides a diverse aspect to the offense. Provides more diversity. There is excitement. Our intention is still to win, still to work hard, still to execute.”
Watson practiced for two weeks mostly on scout team, with limited first-team reps, and in “opportunity periods” near the end of practice. Now he’s taking all the reps with the first team as the Browns prepare to face Watson’s former team in Houston on Sunday. The Texans are 1-9-1 – worst in the NFL.
“He’s special, he’s a playmaker. He puts the ball exactly where it needs to go. Guys like that. Guys are excited. We all are,” Chubb said.
“As far as I know, what I can see, he looks sharp. He’s sharp and he’s spinning it,” said third quarterback Kellen Mond.
“Just from what I’ve seen so far, just his accuracy [is his best attribute],” Ward said. “He’s thrown some great balls in practice. Pretty much all his balls at practice are accurate and on point. You definitely have to be in good position going against him.”
Watson was a 67.8 percent passer in four years with the Texans. Brissett completed 64.1 percent of his passes in 11 games as the replacement starter.
The other difference in Watson’s game is his ability to make plays with his legs. In four seasons with the Texans, Watson averaged 77 rushes for 419 yards and 4.25 touchdowns. The threat of Watson running on designed plays or when pass plays break down puts him in the class of Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen and other “running” quarterbacks.
“I think we have seen going against some of the players this season – think about Josh Allen and Lamar – that is frustrating to a defensive coach when a quarterback can make plays [running],” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Jacoby has made plays with his feet – just in this last game made a bunch of plays with his feet. That element of any offense can be really frustrating to a defense. That is part of Deshaun’s game."
Brownie bits
Myles Garrett, who re-injured his left shoulder in the Tampa game, was among five players who did not practice for “rest." His absence was "not injury related," according to the Browns' injury report. Stefanski was asked about not listing Garrett with a shoulder injury, “He is right where he has been," he said. "These guys, as you know, just played an overtime game on Sunday so trying to be smart about what we do with the guys and make sure that they are fresh come Sunday.” …
Tight end David Njoku was the only starter who did not practice because of injury. He was listed with a knee injury that Stefanski said was different from the one that kept him limited last week …
I asked Stefanski if he will be able to resist the temptation to let Watson throw the ball around at the expense of staying true to the Browns’ running game. “I get the question,” he answered. “For me, for us as a team and for us as an offense, we really want to maximize the skills of all of our players. Obviously, with the change at quarterback, there are as you can imagine certain things that we will do differently, but ultimately, the goal is to go win and the goal is to go play good offensive football. I don’t look at is in terms of ‘resisting temptation.’ I just look at it in terms of trying to do what our guys do best.”
