It was pretty well known coming into the Week 8 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the rival Steelers that Pittsburgh would put Deshaun Watson squarely in its sights. The pass rush is one of the strengths of the Pittsburgh roster–their rush is rated No. 6 in the NFL by Pro Football Focus–and though the Browns line has improved in fits and starts, it has not established much cohesion yet. But then there’s also Watson, who has had some success in using his legs and his experience level to extend and make plays this season, but has also walked himself into some unnecessary sacks.
On Sunday in the 27-6 drubbing at the hands of the Steelers in Pittsburgh, it was a lot more about the sacks than the extended plays. The Steelers hit Watson from every which way and he just did not respond they way he had been doing in previous games. He took a hit to the head, too, in the first half, which sent him to the medical tent to be checked for a concussion.
Watson threw for 324 yards, but much of that came after the game was decided–the real number here is the eight sacks Watson took, tying a season high.
Browns Felt Pressure All Day
After the game, Watson was asked by Browns reporters about the sacks and though there is blame to be put on the line, Watson pointed the finger at himself.
He responded: “”It’s tough. You just got to get rid of the ball, find completions as much as I possibly can, try to find my checkdowns. So just really just try to get the ball out of my hands. Don’t try to be a hero, try to make the play, extend the play as much as possible. Just try to understand the game and the situation as much as possible. … They did a good job of rushing the field, having me step up and there was always somebody there in that rush lane. Again, they schemed it up well, getting into the lane and they did a good job of sitting in their pockets and not allowing me to get out of the lanes and escape zones.”
Deshaun Watson: ‘Brain Is One of the Most Important Things’
Speaking about the concussion scare, which came with just over five minutes elapsed in the first quarter after a hit from Jaquan Brisker, Watson said he was OK all along, and that the Browns and the league were just doing due diligence when they brought him off the field, and inserted Shedeur Sanders to finish a series.
Said Watson: “They were doing NFL protocol. Checking for concussion. The brain is one of the most important things in the body outside the heart and the lungs. But they had to do their job and had to do the evaluation and we did that and I was able to go back in.”
Watson and the Browns will seek to get back on track Sunday in New Orleans in Week 9.
Browns’ Deshaun Watson Updates Head Injury After Week 8 Failure