After Deshaun Watson's disappointing start to the 2024 NFL season, will the Browns consider benching their starting quarterback for Jameis Winston?
Is Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson's status as QB1 in jeopardy? After the Browns' 33-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in their season-opener, ESPN's Dan Graziano believes Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski should start thinking about his backup quarterback, Jameis Winston.
When NFL reporter Graziano was asked which team he was most worried about after Week 1, he replied that it was Watson and the Browns.
“Deshaun Watson looked really bad against the Cowboys,” Graziano said. “Even when he had time or was able to find enough space to throw, he was missing badly.”
The pressure is on Cleveland to surround Watson with elite talent. Otherwise, handing the ball over to 10-year veteran Winston could be in the cards for the Browns, to which Graziano asked his ESPN colleague Jeremy Fowler.
“Cleveland has put together an excellent roster (especially once its offensive line gets healthy) and has hopes of competing at the highest level. The Browns overhauled their entire offensive philosophy this offseason in the hopes of making Watson's life easier and getting the best out of him,” Graziano added. “If he's not at least decent, they have a massive problem.
“And he was a long way from decent, as Watson's 9.3 QBR was the worst in the league for Week 1. Jeremy, is it already time to think about Jameis Winston?”
Deshaun Watson's struggles in the Browns' 33-17 loss to the Cowboys
Deshaun Watson's lackluster performance in Week 1's loss to the Cowboys ended with the three-time Pro Bowler finishing the game 24-for-45 for 169 yards, one touchdown, and a pair of interceptions. He was 0-of-9 on passes thrown 15 or more yards downfield and averaged 2.6 air yards per pass completion, which is the lowest mark of his career. Should the Browns consider starting Jameis Winston?
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler believes it's too early for Cleveland to bench Watson, but it could happen at some throughout the 2024 NFL season.
“I don't think we're quite there. To at least think about Winston over the course of the season? Possibly, because teams must consider every contingency. But the Browns should — and probably will — give Watson a healthy run to fix this. While I agree that Sunday's performance was unsettling, the Browns were playing without their top two offensive tackles and the Cowboys' defense was stifling. There's no way around it: Watson hasn't looked like the same quarterback who starred for the Texans from 2017 to 2020. He has 2,386 passing yards in 13 games in Cleveland. The signatures of his game in Houston — poise and brilliant playmaking under duress — have been weaknesses in Cleveland.”
The Browns play the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday.
