For the bulk of those rooting for and observing the Cleveland Browns these days, the fact that quarterback Deshaun Watson has become something of a normal NFL quarterback is a double-edged sword. On one hand, the Browns are 3-1 on a three-game winning streak in which Watson has led three late game-winning drives, and no backer of the team is going to turn their nose up at that. On the other hand, we know the level of suffering that has befallen this franchise since the fateful trade for Watson and the subsequent contract he was granted. No need to recap that.
But there is a feeling of what might have been in watching the first quarter of this Browns season unfold. Watson has thrown for 855 yards on 80-for-115 passing, with six touchdowns, two interceptions and a 101.2 quarterback rating, Pro Football Focus still rates him as the No. 30 quarterback in the league out of 37, but hey, 3-1 is 3-1.
Browns’ Joe Thomas: Deshaun Watson Has Been ‘So Clutch’
The PFF rating indicates that Watson is still not quite the player the Browns thought they were getting four-plus years ago, but there are glimpses. For legendary Browns lineman Joe Thomas, there’s some appreciation there, for what Watson has done as a runner and as a passer.
Said Thomas, via BrownsNation.com: “I think it’s what we sort of dreamed of when the Browns brought him here from Houston—a quarterback that can make plays when everything breaks down with his legs, keeping his eyes down the field so he can still make those explosive plays throwing it, or he can pick up easy first downs running it. And really, it gives you a full man advantage against a defense when you have a quarterback that’s a weapon like that because now they’ve got to take one of their resources, one of their 11 dudes, to be able to always watch that quarterback position.
“So it all works together. I sure am happy that we’re seeing it now because that’s the reason that he’s been so clutch right now is his ability to get out of the pocket and make plays that aren’t necessarily the called plays, where he’s just throwing it three, four, five steps into the pocket.”
Browns Legend Shouts Out Deshaun Watson ‘Dream’