The Cleveland Browns snatched a win against the Carolina Panthers in Week 3, but don’t let that final score fool you. Deshaun Watson, their starting QB, walked away with a dismal 42.9 PFF grade, the absolute lowest mark on their entire offense. It’s wild, right? A win, but a grade that makes you squint.
Watson’s Wild Week: Comeback King or Grade-A Mystery?
Seriously, what do you even do with this kind of performance? Watson completed just 16 of 30 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns, plus he scrambled for 45 yards on 11 carries, playing 99% of the offensive snaps. His accuracy wasn’t exactly razor-sharp; balls were sailing a bit. But then, *boom*, he leads a go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. For the second week in a row! Apparently, he’s making better decisions, navigating the pocket well, and sacks aren’t even his fault anymore. The source even called him a “competent game manager” and said he shook some “mental hurdles” and heard cheers from the home crowd. So, he won, but his PFF grade was basically a failing mark. How does that even compute for a starting QB? Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders got one snap, completing his lone pass for zero yards.
Backfield Battles: Who’s Stepping Up When It Counts?
The run game was a mixed bag too. Quinshon Judkins got the majority of the carries, 18 of them for 70 yards, averaging 3.9 YPC. He also caught two passes for nine yards, playing 51% of the snaps. But the word on the street, or at least from the stats, is he looked “pedestrian or average.” Something still seems missing with Judkins. Raheim Sanders, on the other hand, saw his highest snap count percentage as a backup all season, playing 43% of the snaps. He only had one carry for 17 yards, but pulled in four catches for 34 yards and graded out as the team’s third-highest offensive player on PFF with a 68.3. That’s a serious backup performance right there! Michael Burton also got 15 snaps, but didn’t register any catches on his one target.
The Numbers Don’t Lie (Unless They Do)
As a team, the Browns converted a measly 5 of 15 third downs, which is only 33%. They got out-gained in total yards, 360 to 259. Yikes. Time of possession was pretty even, and OC Todd Monken has kept that pass-run balance going these first several games. The good news? They’re not turning the ball over and they’re hitting their field goals, which are absolutely massive in tight games. Those small things helped make the difference here. But you have to wonder how long that can last with a QB getting a 42.9 PFF grade.
Whew, what a league, right? Every Sunday brings something wild. Just like the Browns’ head-scratcher of a win, our own Seattle Seahawks had a grinder of a game this week. It was a tough one on the road against the Washington Commanders, with the Hawks falling 33-31. Ouch. Every game in this early season is teaching us something, and it’s clear there’s no easy path. The Browns gotta figure out how to get that offense humming more consistently. For us, we’ll be locked in on Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and the boys. We need to see them bounce back strong next week. Let’s go, Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply