After seeing his quarterback get hit once, Kevin Stefanski didn’t want to see his quarterback get hit again.
Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was already nursing an injury, returned to the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. While Watson’s injury was initially diagnosed as a shoulder contusion, it was later revealed to be a rotator cuff contusion and ultimately a rotator cuff microtear.
Needless to say, Cleveland was always going to be careful with its $230 million quarterback. That’s why it didn’t ultimately come as a surprise that Watson did not return to Sunday’s game after exiting the 39-38 win with three minutes and 13 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The Browns turned to P.J. Walker, who was added to the active roster ahead of Week 7, as their starting quarterback for the remainder of the game. In relief of Watson, Walker went 15-of-32 (46.8 percent) for 178 yards with zero touchdowns and an interception. As for Watson, his return to the lineup left a lot to be desired, as he completed just one of five attempts for five yards, and was also intercepted.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Browns never announced Watson’s injury. Stefanski later told reporters that while Watson passed the concussion protocol, it was his call to ultimately hold Watson out for the remaining 48 minutes of Sunday’s game. He expounded on his decision in the postgame press conference.
“I just felt like I wanted to protect him. I did not want to see him get hit,” Cleveland’s head coach said. “He was hit hard and I know he cleared all that, but I just [felt] I’ve got to protect him.”
Watson, according to Stefanski, is expected to start next Sunday, Oct. 29, in Seattle.
“He’s our starter moving forward. He’s our starter in Seattle,” Stefanski said. “I just — it’s always going to be my decision to protect our players.”
While Watson did start Sunday’s game, the Browns moved to 2-1 (4-2 on the season) in his extended absence. While Walker has been less than impressive, Cleveland has done more than enough in every other facet of the game to win back-to-back games over the 49ers, and now the Colts.
[PFT]
