It could be argued that in most of the four wins that the Cleveland Browns brought with them to Tennessee on Sunday for the Week 7 matchup against the Titans, the team managed to win despite the play of Deshaun Watson as much as because of it. Remember, entering the week, even with a 4-2 record, Watson was still ranked as the No. 32 quarterback in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, out of 38 total graded QBs. But then Sunday came around and it was a different Watson–accurate, confident and racking up 308 yards passing on 25 completions in 36 attempts.
Yeah, the Browns beat Tennessee because of Deshaun Watson, not just despite him. In fact, credit should go to Watson for making up for botched plays by those around him, including a notable dropped pass by rookie KC Concepcion, who had eight catches and 129 yards on the day.
Browns Nearly Had Big Play to KC Concepcion
It was a brilliant day for the Watson-Concepcion connection, but it might have been better if Concepcion had hauled in what should have been a 48- yards touchdown pass that Watson laid out for him. Concepcion fell to the Browns in the draft mostly because of concerns about dropped passes at Texas A&M, but he has worked hard to eliminate them, and Sunday marked his first drop of the season.
Watson revealed his initial message to Concepcion: “I told him, ‘I need that.’ That was the first thing I said to him, ‘I need that, KC, you owe me one.’ But after that, onto the next drive. Onto the next play. We keep coming to you, opportunities are going to come. We both understand, I might miss a throw and they might say the same thing to me. We’ve earned that respect. I told those young guys, ‘Hey, let me know if I need to be a little better, also.’ I think that’s why we have that bond and chemistry.”
Deshaun Watson Teaching Young WRs
Watson had a similar situation with fellow Browns rookie receiver Denzel Boston, who made a mistake on a slant route on Cleveland’s second possession. Boston tried to step behind the cornerback covering the slant, a no-no for an NFL wide receiver. Watson was throwing it to a spot and expected Boston to fight to get there. By going around the defender, Boston allowed for an easy interception.
“He came and talked to me after the play, and after the game in the locker room, too. He understood he put the quarterback in a bad spot …” Watson said. “But it’s a teachable moment for a young receiver. I am not going to charge it against him. I am not gonna be pissed off about it. It happens, it is what it is.”
Browns’ Deshaun Watson Reveals Message to Rookie After Big Mistake