The Cleveland Browns continued their hot start to the 2026 campaign with their fourth victory in five games this past weekend. On Sunday, the Browns knocked off their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, to move into first place in the AFC North.
But not every analyst loved how the team played. The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen was particularly critical of quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Although Watson did enough to lead the Browns to a victory versus the Ravens, he only had 164 passing yards. He also took five sacks while not accounting for any touchdowns.
After Week 6, Nguyen argued Cleveland won’t continue its new winning ways unless Watson starts playing better.
“Watson had a great game on national TV against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night in Week 4, but he’s mostly been awful,” wrote Nguyen. “They play hard, and coach Todd Monken does a good job of play calling.
The young receivers (KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston) will keep improving, but the margins will continue to be tight unless Watson improves.
Watson finished Sunday 16 of 26 while averaging 6.3 yards per pass. He also chipped in 29 rushing yards on eight carries.
Browns Winning Despite QB Deshaun Watson?
By no means is Watson above criticism. But it seemed Nguyen was a little bit too harsh in his assessment of Watson’s play.
In addition to the matchup versus the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 1, the Browns quarterback played well against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Versus the Buccaneers, he completed 80% of his passes while averaging 7.9 yards per pass. Watson also had two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Watson only had 144 passing yards in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers. But he had two touchdowns in that contest as well.
Watson’s issue has been consistency. Last week versus the New York Jets, he really struggled, completing just 15 of 33 attempts for 155 yards. He took eight sacks in that loss.
But prior to Sunday, the Browns had been winning because of Watson’s strong play, not despite of him.
Browns Win in Week 6 to Improve to 4-2
Regardless of their quarterback’s play, the Browns improved to 4-2 with their 13-10 victory against the Ravens on Sunday. They are in a three-way tie with the Ravens and Steelers atop the AFC North. The Browns, though, have already defeated both of those clubs.
This is the latest in the regular season the Browns sit in first place of their division since 2014. Cleveland started that campaign 7-4. But the Browns lost their final five games to finish 2014 with a losing record.
During that losing streak, Cleveland benched veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer in favor of Johnny Manziel. If Watson doesn’t find more consistency, the Browns could turn to Sheuder Sanders over Watson.
But at this point, that doesn’t appear likely to happen. Although he’s been far from perfect, Watson might be playing his best football this season since joining the Browns five years ago.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson Put on Notice Despite Defeating Ravens