Ralph Vacchiano
NFL Reporter
Kevin Stefanski thought his quarterback “played well” on Sunday. He praised him for making “good decisions.” He insisted he made “some really good plays.” The coach even made it clear he thinks the Cleveland Browns have bigger problems than their quarterback.
But they really don’t. The Browns’ Deshaun Watson problem is as massive as his ridiculous contract.
And there’s nothing they can do about either one.
That’s the unfortunate reality they’re facing in Cleveland, where the Browns are a disappointing 1-3 and Watson — in Year 3 of his fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract — is playing like the worst quarterback in the NFL. In fact, statistically, that’s exactly what he is. He ranks dead last among starters in adjusted quarterback rating (QBR).
Last Sunday, in a 20-16 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, he played “well” enough to throw for just 176 yards (on 24 of 32 passing). He has yet to throw for more than 200 yards in a game, four games into this season. He’s only thrown four touchdown passes. And he’s running the second-worst offense in the NFL (246.3 yards per game) and the only one that hasn’t topped 300 yards in a single game this year.
It’s not all his fault — the Browns have been battered by injuries, especially along the offensive line, and their receivers lead the NFL in dropped passes — but there’s no denying that Watson’s struggles are a huge part of their struggles. He’s the one, after all, that was supposed to raise the rest of his team up.
But the Browns’ real problem is this: They’re stuck with Watson for another 2 ¾ years. Thanks to one of the craziest contracts ever given out in sports — not to mention the three first-round picks and third- and fourth-round picks they traded to the Texans for the privilege of paying him — they have no choice but to keep playing Watson for the foreseeable future, no matter how bad things get.
“They obviously knew…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/deshaun-watson-problem-browns-weighed-down-struggling-qb
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Publish date : 2024-10-03 20:54:54
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