If Deshaun Watson can’t play this week, Browns should keep P.J. Walker at QB but manage him better
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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 24-20 loss to Seattle Seahawks …
1. There’s only one way out of this quarterback crisis the Browns find themselves in: Deshaun Watson has to get healthy and play like he did against Tennessee, which was, um, five weeks ago. Kevin Stefanski had no relevant update on Watson’s rehab from his strained right rotator cuff injury. “He’s continuing to come along. We’ll make those types of decisions later on in the week,” the coach said. It would be nice to have Watson ready to play Sunday against Arizona to use it as a tune-up for the Baltimore-Pittsburgh division-defining games that follow. If Watson is not ready to practice full-go on Wednesday, I would hope Stefanski would repeat his strategy of last week and declare P.J. Walker the starter, so that he receives all the first-team reps. The worst thing, in my opinion, would be to replace Walker with rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who is not a step up despite Walkers’ seven turnovers in three games. I wouldn’t even consider mentioning this as an alternative except that Stefanski declined to rule out the possibility of DTR getting another start. “We’ll make, again, all those determinations roster-wise are for later in the week,” Stefanski said. I want to believe this is Stefanski’s call, but that statement makes me wonder if GM Andrew Berry and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta are involved.
2. Instead of replacing Walker, the coaches have to manage the game better for him. Stefanski actually had one of his finest games in Seattle until the killer decision to throw on third-and-3 with 2:04 left. Stefanski should have trusted his offensive line and his running backs, who all had pretty good games in the din of Lumen Field. Beyond them, he should have trusted his special teams to pin in the Seahawks with a punt and his defense not to allow Geno Smith to move his team 50 or so yards for a game-tying field goal try or 75 for a winning touchdown. Not to belabor the error, but Stefanski should have further taken note that Walker missed a wide-open Amari Cooper 25 yards downfield on the previous third-and-3 from the 29. A hands-to-the-face penalty on cornerback Riq Woolen gave the Browns a new set of downs there. As usual, Walker made a few fine throws, and it was good to see the coaches expand his game with some designed runs. He made two first downs on zone-read option runs. But Walker is what he is and the coaches erred in losing sight of that. He locked in on Cooper running a slant in traffic from the right side. His pass caromed off the helmet of blitzing safety Jamal Adams and was intercepted by safety Julian Love. Of course, Walker should have checked down underneath to Jerome Ford, all alone at the 45. There’s a reason Walker isn’t starting or backing up anywhere in the NFL. The coaches erred in not being more aware of his limitations.
3. I erred in reporting previously that Kareem Hunt wasn’t on the field at all on the fateful drive. In fact, he lined up in the backfield after the Woolen penalty on first down – a 2-yard Walker keeper run. And then left to the bench. Hunt should have been in the backfield on the third-and-3 play. He was upset that he wasn’t and he lightly stirred up bad blood between he and the coach in the locker room afterwards. Asked if he was surprised to see so little time in the fourth quarter, Hunt said, “I guess. I don’t know. He [Stefanski] makes the calls. It is what it is. I felt I could’ve helped us win.” One of the reasons Hunt was not re-signed by the Browns – until they had no other better choice after the Nick Chubb knee injury in Pittsburgh in Game 2 – was partly due to a somewhat frosty relationship between Hunt and Stefanski at the end. The Browns did not re-sign Hunt until he and the coach had a discussion about Hunt’s role going forward. Asked why Hunt wasn’t used hardly at all in the fourth quarter, Stefanski said, “Just a balance of using all of our guys, really, is what it was.” As for Hunt’s comments after the game, Stefanski said, “I will talk to Kareem like I talk to all of our guys. Kareem wants to help this football team.” Except for the end, the coaches used the running back committee of Hunt, Ford and Pierre Strong rather well. The Browns don’t need to trade for a running back.
4. The breakdown on Seattle’s winning drive by the defense was disconcerting. That’s the second time the league’s No. 1-ranked defense was shredded with a game on the line. It lucked out against the 49ers when Jake Moody missed a 41-yard game-winning field goal try. I think the enormous momentum caused by Walker’s interception had something to do with it; Lumen Field was as loud as it gets after that. The breakdown obscured what had been a tremendous effort by the defense after a slow start. After the first quarter, Seattle’s next seven series ended in punt, punt, interception, punt, interception, punt, punt. Another good sign is the defense has forced six takeaways in the last two games. Still, slam the brakes on talk of “greatest defense ever,” please. Jim Schwartz should know better. He was a Browns scout in 1994 when Bill Belichick’s defense set a franchise record in yielding a league-low 204 points in 16 games – an average of 12.7 per game. The NFL record is held by the 2002 Ravens (10.3 per game). The 1994 Browns allowed 26 points once and 20 points twice in games. Schwartz’s defense allowed 28 points to Baltimore, 38 to Indianapolis and 24 to Seattle. Granted, 10 offensive turnovers contributed to those point totals. But, please, cease and desist on over-hyping this current defense. I’ll lead the charge if it shuts down Baltimore and Pittsburgh on November 12 and 19.
Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst's athletic interception in the third quarter led to the Browns first and only lead in Seattle. (Cleveland Browns)
5. Speaking of defense, play of the game was turned in by Maurice Hurst. On third-and-6 at the Seattle 29 in the third quarter, the 290-pound defensive tackle dropped into pass coverage, tipped a Geno Smith pass intended for tight end Noah Fant with his left hand, pirouetted 180 degrees as the ball deflected up and came down with it with his left hand for the interception. It was Hurst’s second interception in his five NFL seasons. A magnificent play that initiated a field-goal drive and 20-17 Browns lead. If the Browns don’t allow the touchdown at the end, Hurst’s interception would have been the game-winner.
