Another poor offensive effort has the Cleveland Browns sitting at 1-4 and searching for answers.
However, head coach Kevin Stefanski declared after Sunday’s 34-13 loss to the Commanders that any immediate solution won’t come at the hands of benching Deshaun Watson, who had another poor outing.
“We’re not changing quarterbacks,” Stefanski said. “We need to play better, I need to coach better. That’s really what it is.”
Watson continued his trying 2024 campaign with another frantic performance, missing open receivers, bailing out of the pocket without much pressure and holding onto the ball too long on several occasions.
The persisting issues reared their head quickly on Sunday as the Watson-led offense went three and out on five of their eight first-half possessions, resulting in a 24-3 deficit entering halftime. They didn’t reach the red zone until their first possession of the third quarter, which ended in a chip-shot field goal, and Watson’s lost fumble on a sack later in the frame furthered the eventual blowout.
The Browns mustered just 212 yards of offense against a Commanders defense that entered Week 4 surrendering 357.0 yards and 25.5 points per game. Cleveland has yet to eclipse the 20-point mark or the 300-yard mark in 2024, becoming just the sixth team since 2000 to be held under those thresholds through the first five games of a season.
Watson, who finished 15-of-28 passing for 125 yards with a garbage-time touchdown late in the game, could not pinpoint the reason for Cleveland’s ongoing struggles.
“We just got to catch rhythm,” Watson told reporters. “I think we have to find what we are great at, what we are good at, and perfect that.”
The Browns offense as a whole didn’t play well. An inconsistent rushing attack made life harder for the passing game and a hobbled offensive line continued to allow consistent pressure on Watson. Finishing 1 of 13 on third downs and with a game-high nine penalties, the Browns were constantly in an uphill battle.
Stefanski said he considered taking Watson out of the game in the fourth quarter considering the contest had gotten out of hand. That didn’t end up happening, but Sunday’s poor showing is perhaps loudening the cries for a major change.
“We just got to continue with what the defense gives us, at the end of the day,” Watson said. “I’m rocking with whatever the coach’s decision is. Like I said, we don’t listen to the outside world, regardless of what it is. That’s all I can do is worry about what I can control.”
The Browns will finish a three-game road stretch next Sunday when they face the Eagles (2-2) in Week 6.
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