Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns were booed off the field at halftime against the New York Giants on Sunday as they trailed 21-7.
The struggles continued throughout the game, resulting in a 21-15 loss for the Browns.
The Week 3 matchup couldn’t have started better for the Browns. Standout special teamer Tony Brown II forced a fumble on the opening kickoff and Watson found Amari Cooper for a 24-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.
Things went south from there. The Browns finished the first half with 41 yards of offense, with 24 coming on the opening play to Cooper. Watson routinely missed open receivers and didn’t look decisive with his throws.
Meanwhile, the Giants’ offense capitalized on a big first half. Daniel Jones looked like a franchise quarterback, completing 24 of 34 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns. He was helped by Giants rookie Malik Nabers, who snagged 8 catches for 78 yards — including a highlight reel grab over Martin Emerson Jr. — and two touchdowns.
Watson finished his day with 196 yards and two touchdowns — both to Cooper. He was unable to spark the Cleveland offense late when they had a chance to drive down the field for the win.
Deshaun Watson Called Out on Broadcast After Strip-Sack
Watson was sacked eight times against the Giants and pressured countless more. But not all blame could be placed on the Browns’ patchwork offensive line. Watson’s trademark escapability fell short as he held onto the ball too long. This was especially evident late in the fourth quarter when Giants defensive end Brian Burns delivered a crushing hit, resulting in a strip-sack.
“Deshaun Watson is holding the ball too long. Plain and simple,” Fox announcer Jonathan Vilma said. “Step up in the pocket if you’re going to hold it that long.”
Watson took the hit from Burns on his surgically repaired right shoulder. He was trying to shake it out on the sideline after the hit.
Browns fans had had enough of Watson after watching his performance against the Giants.
“Deshaun Watson is awful. The Browns need to bench him,” one fan said. “He’s not only a terrible human, he’s even worse at his job.”
Another chimed in: “It’s time to bench Deshaun Watson and play Jameis Winston in this second half. Watson is cooked.”
Similar takes were not hard to come by after the embarrassing loss.
“Bench Deshaun Watson immediately,” another fan said. “I would tell him.he is benched on the way to the locker room. Just admit it was the worst trade in NFL history, cut your massive loss and bench that guy.”
Deshaun Watson Named Among Most ‘Likey’ to Be Benched
Watson took a step forward against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 after a miserable opener, but his stats hardly indicate he’s returned anywhere near the Pro Bowl form he showed with the Houston Texans.
Watson entered Week 3 with 355 yards, 1 touchdown and a pair of interceptions. He ranked No. 29 in quarterback rating (63.0) and 30th in QBR (24.4). Only the now-benched Bryce Young was worse.
Earlier in the week, Bleacher Report named Watson one of the top candidates to be benched.
“While Watson does have a 9-5 record as Cleveland’s starter, he’s thrown only 15 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions and produced a paltry 78.2 quarterback rating,” Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox wrote on September 20. “The fact that the Browns offense took off after Watson’s season-ending shoulder injury thrust Joe Flacco into the starting lineup last season can’t be ignored. Watson was better in Week 2 than in Week 1, but he was by no means good (78.8 QB rating).
“Barring a significant jump in Watson’s performance, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski may eventually decide that Jameis Winston or Dorian Thompson-Robinson gives the team a better chance to win. Whether Stefanski is actually allowed to make a change is another question entirely, because franchise owners hate admitting mistakes. At some point, however, the Haslams may have to acknowledge that acquiring Watson was one of the biggest blunders in NFL history.”
The Browns gave up a treasure trove of assets to land Watson in 2022, including three first-round picks. The team also signed him to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract.
