Quarterback Deshaun Watson has yet to achieve the heights the Cleveland Browns expected when they signed him to a massive $230 million guaranteed contract that made him the highest-paid player in NFL history.
That was somewhat to be expected last season. Watson missed almost two years of live games and began the season serving an 11-game suspension for gross sexual misconduct.
But Watson hasn’t exactly set the world on fire this season, either. The Browns beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 in spite of his performance. The Browns weren’t as lucky in Week 2 on Monday Night Football, when they lost to the hated Pittsburgh Steelers.
Watson completed 22 of his 40 pass attempts (55 percent) for 235 yards a touchdown and an interception. Watson also fumbled twice, which the Browns lost both times. That included the game-winning fourth-quarter fumble recovery for a touchdown by T.J. Watt, which helped the Steelers win despite recording -7 offensive yards in that final frame.
Referees also flagged Watson for two pivotal facemask penalties, a rarity for a quarterback. And for his part, he knows the performance wasn’t good enough.
“Still coming along,” Watson said after the game, according to NFL.com. “I feel like, tonight, it was [crappy] as far as that. There’s some plays that we capitalized and we did good, but as far as my part, it’s not good enough. I put that on me. The first play, yeah, we can get into the tactics of a receiver running out and putting the ball out, and this, that and the third, but I got to give him a better ball. The forced fumble for a touchdown for them. We can say, ‘This guy can do this,’ but I’ve got to protect the ball. We’re not going to put it on anyone else. You put it on me. I can take the full blame, I can take the criticism and I’m going to do that.”
Watson will get his next chance to play better on Sunday when the Browns host the Tennessee Titans.
[NFL.com]
