At this rate, Deshaun Watson will shatter the NFL record for sacks taken in a season. He's on pace for 90. The record is 76 by David Carr in 2002. (New York Giants)
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.
The once-vaunted offensive line is in shambles, the running game a shadow of its former self, and the quarterback is taking sacks at a record pace.
How do you like the new Browns’ offense so far?
The best you can say is Deshaun Watson has made it through three games despite 16 sacks and 42 quarterback hits.
The quarterback took 8 more sacks on Sunday and 17 more hits in a 21-15 loss to the previously winless New York Giants.
“I’m gonna be fine,” Watson said afterwards. “They’re not gonna drag me off the field.”
The line has crumbled all summer. Now, before the leaves have changed colors, the line is in crisis.
Three linemen left the game with injuries in the third quarter. So with the game on the line and the Browns down by just one score, an emergency configuration was patched together. Left guard Joel Bitonio moved to left tackle, center Ethan Pocic moved to left guard, Nick Harris came off the bench at center, rookie Zak Zinter stepped in at right guard, and a hobbled Dawand Jones hung on at right tackle.
Behind this makeshift group, Watson had three possessions in the fourth quarter to march the offense to the end zone. Those drives stalled at the Giants’ 44, the Browns’ 29, and the Browns’ 43.
The first imploded on a fumbled exchange with running back Jerome Ford. The second ended in Watson being stopped short on a fourth-and-1 keeper. The last was a drop by receiver Cedric Tillman. “I let the team down,” Tillman said.
Game, set, match.
Before injuries knocked out Jedrick Wills, James Hudson and Wyatt Teller, pressure on Watson was unrelenting – even after the Browns took a 7-0 lead 11 seconds into the game on a fumble recovery on the opening kickoff and a Watson TD to Amari Cooper on a nice fade to the left corner of the end zone.
“They switched up the game plan,” Watson said of the Giants. “Of course we were expecting pressure, but as much as they brought it, you just got to prepare for the worst.”
“Guys were just not winning their 1-on-1s,” said Bitonio. “We just have to block better. That’s the issue.”
The Browns didn’t fall back on the jumbo formation that bought Watson some time in Jacksonville last week. Turns out they wouldn’t have had the bodies, anyway.
Although penalties were way down – only five total -- Watson’s reads were slow enough to bog down the offense.
Meanwhile Daniel Jones built a 21-7 lead feeding the ball to magnificent rookie receiver Malik Nabers, who had two touchdowns, including a circus catch reminiscent of Odell Beckham Jr., on eight catches.
The Giants turned around the game in the first half when a Ronnie Hickman interception was wiped out when Greg Newsome clipped Jones in the helmet on a blitz. Jones proceeded to complete an 81-yard, 13-play drive after the gift.
“It’s the first quarter,” Newsome said. “End of the day, calls like that get made. We can’t let one play define us. You got to find a way to keep going.”
In the third quarter, Hickman recovered a Devin Singletary fumble forced by Shelby Harris at the Giants’ 45. But after one first down, Watson missed Elijah Moore open in the middle, threw too high for Cooper, and took a sack on third down. Dustin Hopkins’ 53-yard field goal try was wide left – his first miss from 50+ in 11 attempts with the Browns.
Finally, Watson put together a scoring drive in the fourth quarter with three completions and a strong 14-yard run on a keeper. Watson tossed his second TD to Cooper and followed with a completion to Jerry Jeudy for the 2-point conversion.
The Browns’ defense did its part from that point, even with Myles Garrett in and out of the medical tent with what he termed “multiple things going on.” The defense forced two punts and a missed field goal to set up the offense.
But in the first game back from his shoulder injuries that Watson had the chance to be the hero, he came up short on those last three possessions.
The silver lining of this game was the resurgence of Cooper (7 catches on 12 targets for 86 yards and 2 TD). But the only completion beyond 20 yards after Cooper’s first TD was a 24-yard run after catch by Ford.
The offense gained only 217 yards, went 4 of 14 on third downs, and failed to score 20 points for the third game in a row.
Wills (knee), Hudson (shoulder) and Teller (knee) will have to wait in line, along with Garrett, to get MRIs on Monday. Although Jack Conklin might be available, the Browns will head to Las Vegas with a 1-2 record and another uncertain week of “who’s playing where?” on the offensive line.
“I’m never concerned,” Watson said. “I’m going to step on the field [with] whoever’s out there. I’m going to keep working regardless of what people think, what people say, who’s out there, whatever it is.
“That’s one thing you’re not going to bash me with is my passion of the game and my work ethic and the way I compete … damn sure of that.”
Watson’s three games in a row matched the longest streak of games he had last season. He’ll need to stay on the field for any chance of playing his way into past form.