Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns are searching for answers on offense, but the quarterback doesn’t think additional designed runs for him is an idea head coach Kevin Stefanski should experiment with.
“I’m not going in there to ask them for more designed runs. … if I don’t have to run, I’m not going to run,” Watson said on Wednesday, according to ESPN. “I’m not trying to take any hits. … I’m not a running quarterback, in a sense. I can make things happen, but I’m not trying to run.
“I’m not a running back. It’s not my specialty. They signed me to throw the ball, make decisions and be a quarterback, not a runner.”
Referencing the season-ending shoulder injury that he underwent in November 2023, Watson said that suffering an injury on a run would be “a lose-lose situation” for him and Stefanski, the reigning NFL Coach of the Year.
All in all, Cleveland’s offense has been one of the worst in the NFL out of the gate, averaging just 152.3 passing yards (30th in the NFL), 95.7 rushing yards (24th), 248.0 total yards (31st) and 16.7 points (25th) per game. The Browns have failed to score 20 points in a single game.
Watson has totaled just 551 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, two interceptions and a 71.4 passer rating, while completing 57.8% of his passes. He has also been sacked more than any quarterback in the league (16), most recently being sacked eight times in Cleveland’s Week 3 loss to the New York Giants. To boot, right tackle Jack Conklin (hamstring) and guard Joel Bitonio (knee) are dealing with injuries.
“It’s everybody. It’s from myself, the coaches, the offensive line, tight ends, running backs, wide receivers, quarterbacks. It’s everybody,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said about the team’s efforts to protect Watson, according to The Associated Press. “And everybody has a job to do in order to keep the quarterback clean.”
On the rushing front, Watson has rushed for 85 yards and one touchdown this season and was previously a respectable…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/browns-qb-deshaun-watson-more-designed-runs-im-not-running-back
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Publish date : 2024-09-26 18:54:01
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