Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns were booed off the field at halftime against the New York Giants on Sunday as they trailed 21-7.
The Week 3 matchup couldn’t have started better for the Browns. Standout special teamer Tony Brown II forced a fumble on the opening kickoff and Watson found Amari Cooper for a 24-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.
Things went south from there. The Browns finished the first half with 41 yards of offense, with 24 coming on the opening play to Cooper. Watson was 8 of 11 for just 67 yards and was under constant pressure. But he also routinely missed open receivers and didn’t look decisive with his throws.
Meanwhile, the Giants offense was rolling. Daniel Jones looked like a franchise quarterback, completing 17 of 19 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns over the first 30 minutes of play. He was helped by Giants rookie Malik Nabers, who snagged six catches for 66 yards, including a highlight reel grab over Martin Emerson Jr. and two touchdowns.
Deshaun Watson Called Out on Broadcast After Strip-Sack
Watson was sacked four times and pressured on seven of his 15 dropbacks, per ESPN. But not all of the blame could be placed on the offensive line. Watson’s trademark escapability fell short as he held onto the ball too long. This was especially evident late in the fourth quarter when Giants defensive end Brian Burns delivered a crushing hit, resulting in a strip-sack.
“Deshaun Watson is holding the ball too long. Plain and simple,” Fox announcer Jonathan Vilma said. “Step up in the pocket if you’re going to hold it that long.”
Watson took the hit from Burns on his surgically repaired right shoulder. He was trying to shake it out on the sideline after the hit.
Browns fans had had enough of Watson after watching his performance against the Giants.
“Deshaun Watson is awful. The Browns need to bench him,” one fan said. “He’s not only a terrible human, he’s even worse at his job.”
Another chimed in: “It’s time to bench Deshaun Watson and play Jameis Winston in this second half. Watson is cooked.”
Deshaun Watson Named Among Most ‘Likey’ to Be Benched
Watson took a step forward against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 after a miserable opener, but his stats hardly indicate he’s returned anywhere near the Pro Bowl form he showed with the Houston Texans.
Watson entered Week 3 with 355 yards, 1 touchdown and a pair of interceptions. He ranked No. 29 in quarterback rating (63.0) and 30th in QBR (24.4). Only the now-benched Bryce Young was worse.
Earlier in the week, Bleacher Report named Watson one of the top candidates to be benched.
“While Watson does have a 9-5 record as Cleveland’s starter, he’s thrown only 15 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions and produced a paltry 78.2 quarterback rating,” Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox wrote on September 20. “The fact that the Browns offense took off after Watson’s season-ending shoulder injury thrust Joe Flacco into the starting lineup last season can’t be ignored. Watson was better in Week 2 than in Week 1, but he was by no means good (78.8 QB rating).
“Barring a significant jump in Watson’s performance, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski may eventually decide that Jameis Winston or Dorian Thompson-Robinson gives the team a better chance to win. Whether Stefanski is actually allowed to make a change is another question entirely, because franchise owners hate admitting mistakes. At some point, however, the Haslams may have to acknowledge that acquiring Watson was one of the biggest blunders in NFL history.”
The Browns gave up a treasure trove of assets to land Watson in 2022, including three first-round picks. The team also signed him to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract.
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