The Cleveland Browns had a late lead on Sunday but an interception thrown by PJ Walker helped the Seattle Seahawks secure a 24-20 victory.
Walker looked to pass on third down 3rd and 3 with just over two minutes left but the ball deflected off the helmet of Seahawks safety Jamal Adams and was intercepted. Shortly after, Seahawks rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba found the end zone to give Seattle the win.
Walker was also very ineffective on the Browns’ last-gasp try to win the game after the Seahawks scored, nearly tossing an interception and getting sacked.
The reactions online were not kind to Walker, who is filling in for an injured Deshaun Watson.
“PJ Walker should never start an NFL game again. This is disgusting,” one fan wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Others called out the front office for not having more foresight when it came to the backup quarterback situation.
“Don’t tell me he played good. He gutted it out. I don’t need any of it,” another fan tweeted. “This is on the front office and the decision to roll out PJ Walker as the backup.”
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski did not sound too happy with Walker’s decision-making in crunch time either.
“With the outcome, you’re always thinking what we can do differently,” Stefanski said after the game. “We had options there. Certainly, you can run it. Certainly, you can pass it. But with the result — that was tough.”
The Browns have rolled out Walker as the primary quarterback the last three weeks. Walker started a pair of games and relived Watson when he exited against the Indianapolis Colts after just a quarter of play.
Walker had three turnovers in all against the Seahawks — a pair of interceptions and a lost fumble.
Browns Need to Investigate Backup QB Option at Trade Deadline
Walker was having a decent day before the final, costly turnover. He finished the matchup with a season-high 248 yards and a touchdown. But the untimely turnovers are something the Browns simply can’t win with.
The Browns have until Tuesday, October 31 to make a decision on their backup quarterback situation. They can roll with Walker, or decide to trade for the more notable veteran backups around the league, like Jacoby Brissett or Andy Dalton.
Getting an experienced backup could pay dividends for the Browns if Watson reinjures his shoulder or if his return timeline somehow gets dragged out further than expected. What’s clear is that the Browns are going to be very careful with their $230 million quarterback and will not put him back on the field if there are questions about his health.
Deshaun Watson Expected to Play Next Week
Watson traveled to Seattle but was inactive. He has spent the week rehabbing his shoulder and the Browns made the call in the middle of the week that he’d sit out the Seahawks matchup. There’s a hope Watson will be back next week. If not, it should not extend more than two weeks, per ESPN Adam Schefter.
“Browns’ QB Deshaun Watson will continue to be week to week with his rotator cuff injury, but it is not expected to be a long-term absence that would necessitate him being placed on injured reserve, which automatically would sideline him four weeks, per sources,” Schefter tweeted on Sunday, October 29. “While the Browns will continue to be cautious with him, it is, in the words of one source, ‘unlikely that it’s longer than two weeks.’”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler added to that report, saying: “The Browns are hopeful he can return as soon as next week, but that’s not a slam dunk.”
The Browns have gone 3-1 with Watson starting this season, although one of those wins includes the Colts game he exited early. He’s completing 61.7% of his passes and has 683 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. The Browns face the one-win Arizona Cardinals next week.
Comments
Browns QB PJ Walker Ripped After Game-Deciding Interception