Deshaun Watson played the victim after Cleveland’s latest preseason game, saying the booing from Browns fans wasn’t about “performance,” but was “personal” and “disrespectful.” Seriously? This dude just lit a match on an already burning dumpster fire of a quarterback situation, and Week 1 against the Jaguars is only three weeks away.
Cleveland’s QB Mess is a Total Disaster Right Now
Look, Shedeur Sanders got his shot on Saturday against the Bills, and yeah, he had another interception, but he actually “did some good things” too. More importantly, he was “far better” than Watson was in that game. Watson, on the other hand, had a “bad pick” and was “far worse” overall, even if he might’ve outplayed Sanders in the first preseason game. Now, Browns head coach Todd Monken is staring down a “real mess,” and he’s close to making a starting decision. Sanders has all the momentum right now, and Watson’s “personal” comments? They “shot like a lightning bolt through Cleveland,” man. Monken’s in a no-win spot, really. If he names Watson the Week 1 starter, he risks losing the fan base and maybe even the locker room. Watson might be “nominally the better QB” right now, but after throwing a match on “old flames” with those comments, he’s “persona non grata” for a ton of fans. The damage there is just too much.
Meanwhile, a Quiet Shift in Vegas for the Raiders
While Cleveland is having a meltdown, there’s been a sneaky shift over with the Raiders. It feels kinda weird to hype Fernando Mendoza after a game where he “hardly dominated,” but after hearing offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak talk, it sounds like the door is open for Mendoza to start early. Kirk Cousins was basically locked in as the Week 1 starter, but that changed in the last week or so. Mendoza actually earned first-team reps in joint practices, which he hadn’t done before, and he got the start Thursday night. Yeah, he threw a pick-six against the Texans’ backups, and it “wasn’t a pristine showing overall,” but there were still “visible positives” to his game. Kubiak says he doesn’t want anyone “feeling comfortable,” and it seems he’s totally achieved that. Still, I’m betting it’s Cousins for Week 1. Kubiak’s been patient, sure, but he’s also pragmatic.
The clock is ticking for both these teams with Week 1 getting closer. Monken has to make a call in Cleveland that could define their early season, and Kubiak’s keeping everyone guessing in Vegas. It’s gonna be wild to see how these situations play out in the next few weeks.
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.
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