After what unfolded for the Cleveland Browns in their 34-10 shellacking by Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon in Week 1 of the NFL season, it would be hard for anyone on any sort of platform to come out and publicly defend that performance. And that’s true of any phase of the game, but none quite so clear as at quarterback, where Deshaun Watson was back under center for the first time in nearly two years after suffering from consecutive Achilles tendon tears. Watson’s numbers were not terrible, but his command of the offense and leadership on the field and in the huddle were nonexistent.
Oh, and he threw an interception on the first drive, five plays into the game and at the 19-yard line of the Jaguars, completing derailing any early momentum the Browns had built. Poor scrambles, bad decisions and wobbly passes were on the menu for the Browns quarterback on Sunday, and the fact that Jacksonville had no fear of Watson throwing over the top meant the team could pack the box and suffocate Cleveland’s short-game plans.
Quincy Avery Is Deshaun Watson’s Longtime Trainer
Watson was 16-for-22 for 205 yards, with a touchdown and an interception, but most of his best work was done when the Jaguars were already well ahead and only going half speed. This was a 24-0 Browns deficit at halftime, after all.
Still, one guy who has long been a Watson defender is his trainer, quarterback coach Quincy Avery. While many Browns and NFL observers and pundits have shredded the decision to start the 30-year-old Watson over the 24-year-old Shedeur Sanders, Avery was predictably defensive of his client, suggesting that watching film of the game would reveal that Watson somehow looked good.
Quincy Avery: Browns Fans Not ‘Honest’ About Deshaun Watson
Writing on Twitter/X amid a torrent of anger and frustration from Browns fans and media, Avery asserted that too many were letting their anti-Watson bias show:
“I do understand people not liking Deshaun etc. I also don’t think you guys watched the same tape. I also saw things he def need to do better. But the way you guys are talking about it makes it obvious you didn’t watch it with an honest perspective.”
When it was pointed out to Avery that Watson had done little “until it was 34-3 in the game,” he suggested that Watson had only two bad plays–the interception and the odd decision to take a seven-step drop when operating from the shotgun.
“Go and pull up the atrocious. Int bad, 7 step from gun bad. But show me the others.”
Browns Game Film Touch to Watch
Part of the issue with showing other Browns plays in which Watson struggled is that it would require re-watching the film of the game, and there are not many fans or viewers who would like to subject themselves to that ordeal again. Yes, Avery has a point in that the loss was hardly all on Watson. The defense struggled, there were communication problems and the run game did not get much going, either.
That was the takeaway from coach Todd Monken, too.
“There were some really good things on film, some things that you can build on, and there were some others that, operationally, we got to get better at,” Monken said
“I did think that when he had time, when he understood the concepts, he didn’t play tentative, that he let it rip. And even the touchdown at the end, sure, that was garbage time, but that was on their one corner. That was one of their starters out there, and that was a communication between him and the receiver. So, there were a lot of things to build on. Was it perfect? Of course not. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have scored as few of points as we did. But I’d like to see how we can build on that.”
Monken, though, is the coach. He had to watch the tape. He had to say positive things about Watson’s showing. But the results were there for all to see.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson’s Trainer Hits Back at Critics