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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson heard some early boo birds during the opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
Watson completed 7 of 15 passes for 36 yards and an interception in the first half, although a few drops didn’t help his cause. He was 0-7 on passes more than 5 yards downfield, per ESPN.
Watson finished the game with 169 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. It wasn’t all Watson’s fault. At times, he looked timid in the pocket, with Cowboys star Micah Parsons and others applying heavy pressure for all four quarters.
With the first half winding down, Fox Sports play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt noted the boos from the Cleveland crowd.
“Some early boo birds from the crowd for the Browns at home,” Burkhardt said.
The first half was not pretty for the Browns, with Burkhardt describing the Cleveland offense as “putrid.” The Browns finished the first half with 54 total yards and one first down. The Cowboys more than doubled up the Browns in time of possession.
It went from bad to worse late in the second quarter. Watson stared down his receiver and Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons jumped up, tipping the ball. It fell into the hands of Dallas linebacker Eric Kendricks. The Cowboys flipped the turnover into a field goal.
The Browns decided to try to run out the clock at the end of the first half and the boos grew even louder for Watson and Co.
Deshaun Watson Did Not Play in Preseason
The matchup against the Cowboys was Watson’s first action since November. He was slated to see the field for the Browns’ preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks but the team decided against it due to a patchwork offensive line. Watson was also dealing with arm soreness, which he later said was more precautionary.
The Browns were extra cautious with Watson, who had surgery to repair a displaced fracture to the glenoid in his right shoulder. However, Cleveland expressed confidence that Watson would be able to produce despite the lack of live action.
I think he’s excited to get out there. I think he’s a competitor, he wants to be out there with his guys and out there playing ball, and he’s looked like himself at practice from what I’ve seen on tape from him in the past,” Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said leading up to the opener. ” I’m excited to see him out there and excited to watch him kind of fly around and be himself. And that’s all we want from him. We just want him to go out, be himself. No more, no less. Go out and make good decisions. Everything else will take care of itself.”
Deshaun Watson Was Emotional for Season Debut
Watson was eager to make his season debut and get back into the rhythm of game day.
“I think the emotions are just super high just like everyone else,” Watson said on September 4. “Just, you know, getting back for the first game, the start of the season, getting out there and just letting all the hard work that you put in, in the offseason show on the field.”
The Browns need Watson to turn things around in a hurry if they hope to be in the mix. Cleveland traded for Watson during the 2022 offseason in a blockbuster deal with the Houston Texans. Cleveland gave up three first-round picks, along with a third- and fourth-round pick.
So far, the big move hasn’t paid off. Heading into Sunday, Watson had appeared in just 12 games. He’s passed for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
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