Deshaun Watson had some encouraging moments in his first preseason start, but his biggest opportunity ended with the Cleveland Browns going nowhere.
Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards against the Chicago Bears in his first game action in nearly two years. However, 43 of those yards came on a screen pass to Dylan Sampson. Watson also fumbled after getting his arm hit in the pocket and didn’t complete a pass that went over 10 yards in the air (4.4 air yards per attempt, per ESPN).
Head coach Todd Monken had identified the two-minute drill as an important test for Watson. It appeared he would not get that opportunity with the Bears possessing the ball at the two-minute warning, but rookie cornerback Michael Coats Jr. intercepted Tyson Bagent and gave Cleveland possession near midfield.
Watson failed to capitalize. A sack on the opening play was erased by a defensive penalty, giving the Browns a reset. Watson then scrambled toward the sideline for a short gain before throwing consecutive incompletions.
Cleveland punted after running just 17 seconds off the clock, bringing Watson’s otherwise decent outing to a disappointing end.
“It was the Deshaun Watson experience. We saw some good. We saw some bad. As the game went on, we saw him get shaky in the pocket. He got nervous,” Gerald McCoy said on the NFL Network halftime show. “He was worried about his athleticism. He stepped up late because he was apprehensive about what he was doing.”
Todd Monken Stressed 2-Minute Drill for Browns QBs
Monken made it clear that one of his priorities was evaluating Watson and Shedeur Sanders in the two-minute offense. The plan is for each quarterback to start one of Cleveland’s first two preseason games and play approximately one half, giving both a comparable opportunity.
“One’s going to start this week and one’s going to start next week, and we’re going to play them about a half each,” Monken said. “I’d like to see a quarterback play a half and get a two-minute, we’re going to do everything we can to get a two-minute and for the half. And we’re going to try to do the exact same thing the next week.”
Watson delivered some encouraging moments against the Bears, but his failed two-minute possession left a sour ending to his performance.
“Todd Monken really wanted to see the 2-minute offense with Deshaun Watson. Don’t think it went how he hoped,” Spencer German of Locked On Browns said.
“Monken wanted to see a two-minute drill and, well, he just saw it,” Zac Jackson of The Athletic posted on X.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Can Make Move Against Bills
Watson did not deliver the decisive performance needed to create separation in the quarterback competition. That keeps the door open for Sanders, who played with Cleveland’s backups during the second half against the Bears but will receive a more meaningful opportunity in the team’s second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.
Monken plans to reverse the rotation, giving Sanders the start and most of the first half before Watson takes over. Sanders should have more snaps alongside Cleveland’s starting offense and, ideally, an opportunity to operate the two-minute drill Monken wants to evaluate.
The Browns will also have a joint practice with the Bills, which should provide both passers with valuable reps. Cleveland closes the preseason with a matchup against the New England Patriots.
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