Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken isn’t hitting the panic button on his quarterback situation yet, but man, it feels like the whole city of Cleveland is. Despite a truly dismal Week 1 outing, Monken told reporters Monday he “anticipates” Deshaun Watson will still be under center for their Week 2 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No quarterback change ahead, folks. You heard that right. After what we all just watched, the Browns are apparently sticking with their guy, at least for now.
Watson’s Week 1: A Disaster from the Jump
Seriously, where do you even start with Sunday’s performance? Watson threw an interception on Cleveland’s very first drive against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and honestly, that pretty much told us how the entire 34-10 beatdown was gonna go. It set the tone, alright. A tone of frustration and a whole lot of head-shaking. He finished the game with just 205 passing yards and a single touchdown, which, let’s be real, isn’t gonna cut it in this league. But wait, there’s more! He also racked up two total turnovers and got sacked a mind-numbing five times. Five! The offense looked completely lost, out of sorts, for practically the entire game. They couldn’t get anything going until Jacksonville had piled up such a huge lead they could basically just cruise to the finish line. This isn’t just a bad game, this is a glaring red flag for a franchise trying to find its footing in a rebuild. Is this really the “steady hand” everyone talked about?
The “Best Option” Argument Is Getting Hard to Buy
Remember when the big argument for picking Watson over guys like Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel was his “clear edge in experience”? The idea was he could be a “steady hand for one year” while the franchise assesses its long-term options and lays a foundation. Yeah, well, that argument is falling apart faster than a cheap tent in a hurricane, isn’t it? Right now, Watson doesn’t even look like a decent stopgap option. It’s getting impossible to ignore the cold, hard fact that he hasn’t been a viable starter since 2020. That’s two full seasons missed since then! And let’s not forget the goodwill he had left, whatever little bit there was in Cleveland, totally evaporated after that combative press conference following the preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills back in August. So, what gives? The MMQB’s Albert Breer reported Watson was “widely seen internally as the best option.” Best option? After that? If he fails to make some major improvements, and fast, it’s gonna be tough to argue he’s keeping that job on pure merit. It’s going to look a lot more like the Browns are just desperately trying to recoup *anything* from what’s honestly one of the worst contracts in NFL history. And what about Shedeur Sanders? Every single snap he spends holding that clipboard, it feels more and more like a vote of no confidence from his coaches. The longer this goes, the tougher it gets for everyone involved.
So, Monken anticipates Watson starts Week 2 against the Buccaneers. But if those numbers don’t improve, and that offense stays “out of sorts,” how long can they really stick with him? This isn’t just about winning a single game, it’s about what this whole season becomes for a team that desperately needs some direction. The clock is ticking, and the pressure is already immense.
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.
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