Deshaun Watson has reached historically bad level of quarterbacking with Browns

Do you know how bad it’s gotten with Deshaun Watson on the field? I don’t think you do. It’s not just “worst starting quarterback in the NFL” bad. He’s reached a historically bad level.  

The Watson, who burst onto the NFL scene as a rookie with 19 touchdown passes in seven games, threw for over 4,000 yards in his second season and led the league with 4,823 yards in 2020, has completely vanished. That Watson is long gone. 

And after Cleveland’s latest loss, a 34-13 demolition at the hands of the red-hot Commanders, head coach Kevin Stefanski said “we’re not changing quarterbacks. We need to play better. I need to coach better. And that’s what it really is.”

Now, of course, that messaging could be coming from above Stefanski within Cleveland’s organization — like, say, from owner Jimmy Haslam, who offered the $230 million fully guaranteed contract to Watson in 2022. 

Regardless of who is making the final call, Watson is the starting quarterback right now. And he’s started about as poorly as we’ve seen.

While I don’t believe EPA to solely be a quarterback stat in isolation, at the center of the offense, EPA does tell a reasonably good story as to how effectively a quarterback is operating. And the history of Browns quarterbacks has about five times more brutal quarterbacks than quality ones, so the worst EPA start since 2000 in Cleveland is striking. 

But for historical NFL framing, check this accompanying tweet about the beginning of Watson’s 2024 season with the Browns (and note Will Levis here, too. Yikes.):

Watson all but certainly is the culprit here. Because, remember, Stefanski has won NFL Coach of the Year twice — in 2020 and 2023. Amari Cooper had 83 catches for 1,153 yards last season. And in that magical 2023, Joe Flacco started five games, won four of them, all of those victories included a 300-yard passing game with multiple touchdown throws. 

The offensive…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/deshaun-watson-has-reached-historically-bad-level-of-quarterbacking-with-browns/

Author : Chris Trapasso

Publish date : 2024-10-07 14:47:01

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