Deshaun Watson’s return to the field after October 2024 was supposed to be a fresh start for the Browns, but man, did it ever go sideways fast. He tossed an interception on just the fifth play of Sunday’s season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, setting the tone for a brutal 34-10 road loss that saw him struggling to find any kind of footing. This wasn’t the comeback anyone in Cleveland was dreaming about.
Rough Ride for Watson in First Start Back
You could tell it had been a minute since Watson took a snap in a real game. That early pick was just the tip of the iceberg. The guy looked rusty, couldn’t get into a flow, and his first half stats were reportedly pretty grim. Losing by that kind of margin, 34-10, on the road in your season opener? That’s not just a bad day, that’s a *statement* of how far off track things were. Watson himself basically admitted they were lost at sea. “We just couldn’t get our rhythm back,” he told reporters after the game. It sounds like they were chasing the game from the jump.
Can’t Get That Rhythm Back
Watson’s post-game comments painted a clear picture of a team that just couldn’t execute. He talked about not being able to “get drives back to help the defense,” which is a huge deal. When your offense is sputtering, your defense is stuck out there forever, and that’s how games get totally blown open. He hit the nail on the head, “Jacksonville made plays and got points, and we didn’t. I think that’s where the game got away from us.” No doubt about it, the scoreboard pretty much screamed that. It’s tough enough coming back after a long layoff, but when the team can’t back you up, or you can’t get them going, it’s a disaster. And to add insult to injury, it looks like Myles Garrett is headed for IR, which is just another punch to the gut for that team.
This is just Week 1, so there’s a ton of season left for the Browns to figure things out. But with Watson’s first start since October 2024 looking this rough, you gotta wonder how long it’ll take them to shake off the rust and the sting of this loss. They’ve gotta regroup hard before their next game, because they can’t afford another performance like this if they wanna salvage anything from this early season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
Leave a Reply