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Deshaun Watson’s $230 million contract is guaranteed. Seemingly, so is his job.
Watson failed to lead the Cleveland Browns to an offensive touchdown, failed to lead Cleveland to its first 20-point game, failed to lead Cleveland to even a glint of hope it can turn around its season.
None of the beleaguered QB’s football foibles — much less his high-profile legal issues — are enough to persuade coach Kevin Stefanski he needs to make a change.
Watson is Cleveland’s quarterback. End of debate.
After the Browns’ 20-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Stefanski left no wiggle room when asked if Watson remained QB1 heading into next week’s game against Cincinnati.
“Yes,” Stefanski said.
Stefanski doubled down on that stance Monday, saying he thinks Watson “continues to give us the best chance to win.” When asked whether he was continuing to start Watson at the behest of owner Jimmy Haslam, the driving force behind Watson’s controversial contract in 2022, Stefanski said while he has “a good dialougue” with the team’s front office and ownership, any decision “when it comes to football” is his alone.
Watson finished 16 of 23 for 168 yards and blew a chance at a tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter when he was pushed out of bounds at the 2-yard line on a scramble. He then threw incomplete on third down, forcing the Browns to settle for a field goal. They didn’t get the ball back.
“I thought there were some good moments,” Stefanski said. “You know, we need to protect. We need to keep him clean when we can. That’s a good front. I thought the guys battled like crazy. Had some decent opportunities there, but got to find a way to be more explosive.”
The QB situation is almost improbable to believe, given Watson’s unsightly statistics — a 76.6 quarterback rating and near the bottom of the league in every meaningful category.
The Browns appear to have no chance of repeating the playoff run they made last year behind then-backup Joe Flacco. Is former first-round…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/browns-coach-stefanski-stands-by-watson-as-beleaguered-qbs-struggles-continue
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Publish date : 2024-10-14 18:33:48
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