Deshaun Watson’s decision not to play against Baltimore caught everybody by surprise
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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.
Second thoughts on Browns 28-3 loss to Baltimore Ravens …
1. At least Baker Mayfield always tried to play with injuries. The problem with him was when injuries affected his performance, the Browns left him in there. The Deshaun Watson situation is difficult to unravel. After the Ravens game and again on Monday, coach Kevin Stefanski clearly stated it was Watson’s decision not to play after not feeling comfortable during a brief pre-game workout. “So, Watson was medically cleared to play?” I asked Stefanski. “Yes … and you know, let me say this, I mean, he knows his body. He’s played through serious pain before. Very, very serious injuries. It wasn’t a matter of pain tolerance or anything. He just did not feel like he had his full faculties.” His full faculties? On Sunday, Stefanski declined to confirm a report by CBS sideline reporter Evan Washburn that an MRI revealed fluid surrounding Watson’s rotator cuff. “Specifics, I don’t know. But structurally he’s okay,” Stefanski said. On Monday, Stefanski reiterated that team doctors “feel good” that there is no structural damage to Watson’s right shoulder. “He’s going to use this week to rest and continue to get treatment. But, yeah, I feel like medically we’re all on the same page,” Stefanski said. Watson was not available for questions after the game. He is not expected to be available until next week.
2. The fact is Watson – and the team – expected him to play as late as Saturday night. Even though rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson took most of the first-team reps all week, it appeared the late scratch threw him and the coaches for a loop. The typical course of action when a rookie quarterback makes his first NFL start, especially in an emergency situation, is to scale back the game plan and make things easier for him. Typically, coaches rely heavily on their offensive line and running game to reduce the risk of offensive turnovers, and then call on their defense – in this case, the No. 1 unit in the league – and special teams to control field position and manage the game. That didn’t happen. The game plan appeared the same as if Watson were playing – plenty of pistol, shotgun and empty formations and no discernible emphasis on running the ball. The slow-developing flea-flicker involving a direct snap to TE3 Harrison Bryant and pitchback to Thompson-Robinson averted disaster only because of a defensive pass interference penalty. I asked Stefanski why run that play with a rookie QB. “It was just – felt like we’d have an opportunity to take a shot there in that down and distance,” he said. Overall, DTR’s three interceptions on 36 pass attempts supported the notion that the Browns were not adequately prepared to design a better plan for him. Naturally, the coach disputed that. “It’s our job as coaches. You put a plan together and then the backups execute the plan and then based on who’s available to you, you adjust your game plan both during the week and in game. So, what happened yesterday was not an issue of not knowing if DTR was going to play. That was not it at all. We just have to coach better and play better,” he said.
3. GM Andrew Berry will hold his annual bye week availability on Wednesday. In the wake of DTR’s sorry emergency start, Berry will have to revisit the trade of veteran quarterback Josh Dobbs to Arizona in late August. Dobbs was a cheap backup ($2 million), possessed familiarity of the Browns’ offense, and had a great relationship with Watson. Dobbs was perfectly willing to spend the 2023 season serving to support Watson, which was a side benefit of having him in the quarterback room. Whom does Watson turn to now to bounce off things quarterbacks talk about away from the coaches or on the sidelines between series? Dobbs didn’t want to be traded and the Browns weren’t given a deal that they could not refuse – merely a fifth-round pick. So why risk leaving the team short-handed in the unlikely event Watson would miss a game? Even after the trade, Stefanski cautioned that the unique role of backup NFL quarterback was something that DTR would have to learn over time. After the performance on Sunday, I asked Stefanski if the team would pursue another veteran QB or would QB3 P.J. Walker, who has a 4-3 record in NFL starts with Carolina, be given a pathway to take over as QB2. “Obviously, Dorian’s disappointed,” Stefanski said. “You know, that’s the first outing for him. He will continue to get better, but that’s really where my focus is.”
4. I vastly over-rated the Browns’ ability to keep their running game at an acceptable level after Nick Chubb’s season-ending injury. In two games post-Chubb, the Browns have rushed the ball 56 times for 171 yards, a 3.05-yard average. Reasons for the 2-yard drop-off include: 1. No Chubb (duh), 2. Jerome Ford’s just breaking in as a feature back, 3. Kareem Hunt’s still not in football shape after missing the entire offseason and training camp with no team, and 4. Tennessee (ranked No. 4) and Baltimore (No. 7) are two of the stingiest run defenses in the league. Joel Bitonio and others will also tell you the offensive line is performing below its standard in the run game. I have another reason: The emphasis on more pistol and shotgun formations hasn’t helped. Stefanski’s overall comment on the slowed running game: “Yeah, we can be better, obviously. I trust in the guys we have. I trust in the scheme, those types of things. We’re four games into the season, so it’s an incomplete sample size to draw a ton from it, but we can better. We will be.” Overall, the Browns’ run game is holding on to the No. 5 spot in NFL rankings at 143.8 rushing yards per game – 31.6 more than the NFL average.
David Njoku had his best game of the year after suffering burns in a household accident two days before. (Cleveland Browns)
5. Tight end David Njoku vowed to the team that he would be ready to play after suffering burns to his face and hands in a fire pit accident on Friday night. And he was good to his word. Njoku had season highs in targets (seven) and catches (six) even though his snaps were down to a season-low 48. His 46 receiving yards were his second-most to 48 in the Pittsburgh game. Njoku was the best offensive player on Sunday. “With the result we had yesterday, it’s hard to feel good about anything, but the way he played was unbelievable to me with what he went through,” Stefanski said. “And not just the pass game, the run game. He’s the first guy picking his teammates up off the ground, it felt like every single play. So, he was a warrior yesterday. It was impressive to watch.”
