First-year Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken just dropped an absolute bombshell, admitting he still hasn’t watched a single frame of film on Deshaun Watson from his historically disastrous stretch with the team. This is wild, especially coming right after the controversial decision to name Watson the starter over Shedeur Sanders just last week. Seriously, you gotta be kidding me.
A Coach’s Blind Faith or a Huge Gamble?
Monken’s reasoning for this head-scratching move? He said, “I really, to be honest, haven’t looked at it.” He only saw Watson “from afar” when he might catch some crossover film. His whole philosophy is to go into it thinking “every player we have is elite,” and all they have to do is “prove me right.” He expects them to play well because they are on an NFL roster. It’s a completely “different staff, different system,” he says, so they’ll “let it play out.” This fresh-eyes approach is a massive gamble, especially when you consider what Watson has actually put on tape for Cleveland. How can you coach a guy up if you’re not even looking at his past struggles?
The Brutal Truth Monken Is Ignoring
Here’s the cold, hard reality Monken is apparently choosing to overlook: Since the Browns made that fateful trade with the Houston Texans back in 2022, Deshaun Watson has statistically been one of the absolute worst starting quarterbacks in the entire NFL. We’re not talking slightly below average, folks. We’re talking bottom of the barrel. He ranks LAST in completion percentage, yards per attempt, and TD-INT ratio over the last four years among quarterbacks with at least 500 passing attempts. And get this: he’s only played in 19 games over those four seasons! Remember the Watson from Houston? The three-time Pro Bowler who actually led the NFL in passing yards in 2020? That guy is a ghost. It’s been over 2,000 days since Watson had a 300-yard passing game. Think about that. Retired legend Tom Brady racked up 14 such games in that exact same period! The stats are screaming: -0.19 EPA/dropback (49th), 4.9 yards per dropback (49th), and a paltry 177.1 passing yards per start (47th) among 50 qualifying QBs since 2022. It’s a disaster.
What’s Next For Cleveland’s QB Situation?
It feels like Monken is giving Watson a final, Hail Mary chance to resurrect his career. To his credit, Watson does have a completely new setup: a new offensive line with five new starters and some fresh faces in the weapons department. We’re talking running back Quinshon Judkins, tight end Harold Fannin Jr., and rookie wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. Maybe a new system and new teammates will unlock something. But let’s be real: what Watson has shown over the past four years does not inspire even a shred of optimism. As the regular season kicks off, all eyes will be on Watson. Can he prove Monken’s blind faith right, or will Cleveland be stuck watching another brutal stretch from a quarterback whose numbers have been historically bad? It’s sink or swim time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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