The Cleveland Browns don’t exactly have high expectations for the 2026 campaign, but they still somehow managed to disappoint their fans in Week 1 with an ugly 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. There was never really a point where the Browns were competitive, as they looked lifeless on both sides of the ball throughout this one.
On offense, Deshaun Watson drew the start under center, but he did nothing to indicate that he is capable of returning to his prior Pro Bowl form. Unsurprisingly, Watson was heavily criticized for his performance in this game, leading him to fire back ahead of his second start of the season in Week 2.
Deshaun Watson Not Fazed By Browns’ Week 1 Struggles
Watson won the starting quarterback job over Shedeur Sanders during training camp, but the Browns have never seemed truly committed to him. With potentially the shortest leash in the league, many folks have been calling for Sanders to start, and there’s reason to believe that if Watson turns in another dud in Week 2, he will be heading back to the bench.
Ever since arriving in Cleveland back in 2022, Watson has been a mess, and that continued in Week 1. His numbers on the surface aren’t awful (16/22, 205 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT), but most of his production came during garbage time after Jacksonville benched its starters. Maybe he can build off of what he did in the fourth quarter, but that is certainly not something worth banking on.
There’s no doubt that Watson hears all the chatter surrounding his name in the media, but he’s doing his best not to let it get to his head. Watson fired back at the notion that he underperformed in Week 1, saying that he believes the media has set unrealistic expectations for him. Regardless, he’s intent on doing whatever he can to help the Browns get back in the win column.
“I think the media has this expectation that I’m supposed to throw 400 yards and five touchdowns every week,” Watson said when speaking to reporters. “Until that happens, I guess it’s going to be the same situation. Again, my job is to make sure I’m operating well so we can try to get the win and keep moving forward from there.”
Is Deshaun Watson Playing for His Starting Job With the Browns in Week 2?
Watson has had a frosty relationship with the media for years now, and saying things like this isn’t going to earn him any new fans. At this point, Cleveland just wants to see a competitive team take the field for the Browns, but as long as Watson is on the field, it doesn’t seem like that is going to happen.
Nobody is saying that Watson needs to play like a Pro Bowler, but at some point, he has to take accountability for his struggles. He once again managed to avoid doing that on Wednesday, and whether he wants to admit it or not, he’s fighting for his starting job in Week 2. If Watson doesn’t turn in at least an average performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland will have almost no choice but to turn to Sanders moving forward.
Deshaun Watson Fires Back at Critics After Browns’ Ugly Week 1 Loss