BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Deshaun Watson has yet to return to the top passer in the NFL form seen in 2020 but the progress is noticeable.
“I think Deshaun is certainly getting more and more comfortable in what we are doing,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said Sunday, a day after the Browns beat the Ravens 13-3.
Watson didn’t put up big numbers with snow falling and temperatures falling into the upper 20s, but he was effective completing 18 of 28 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown in the win.
Watson has pledged to be better than he was in 2020, when he led the NFL in passing with 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
“He doesn’t lack for confidence, and he is a great leader in the building, outside the building, on the practice field and in the locker room,” Stefanski said. “I do think there is certainly confidence that comes from playing, winning and those type of things. That always leads to confidence.”
Watson believes he’s capable of the same magic we see from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“I see it in practice, so I certainly know what Deshaun is capable of,” Stefanski said. “He sees it really, really well. He had some plays in the game [Saturday] – one in particular that I am thinking about – where has an uncanny ability to make some throws in tight, tough windows. It is definitely a part of his game and a part of our game that will continue to grow.”
After serving an 11-game suspension, Watson, who is completing 60.9% of his passes for 568 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, has gradually been knocking off the rust from not playing 700 days between regular season starts.
The Browns offense has accounted for 6, 10 and 13 points in Watson’s three starts but they’ve won two of those games.
Getting defensive – Don’t look now, but the Browns defense is stringing together a stretch of quality play.
Saturday, they forced a pair of turnovers – Denzel Ward interception and John Johnson’s forced fumble and recovery – and allowed a season-low three points.
“It is always a game where you have to make some plays,” Stefanski said. “Denzel’s making a big interception. John Johnson having a big forced fumble. We have alluded to takeaways and how important they are because it does cover you up. You may give up some plays in the course of a drive, but when you take it away, that ultimately is what you are looking to do.”
The Browns are now -3 in turnover margin on the season. A few weeks ago they were -9.
Although the Ravens out-gained Cleveland 324-283, including 198-143 on the ground, the bend but don’t break approach worked like a charm. Baltimore was 5-12 on third down and 0-3 on fourth down.
“That is why we put so much emphasis on turnover margin and how we take care of the ball,” Stefanski said. “Zero giveaways versus that defense and that team is a big deal. Taking it away versus that team is a very big deal. It is definitely something you emphasize. In the course of emphasizing it, you don’t say, ‘Hey, let’s give up a bunch of yards,’ but there is an element, as we all know, and you watch football – you can watch it today on Sunday – of bend but don’t break. That does happen on defense at times. When you make a big play on a third down or a fourth down or when you make a big play on first-and-10 like JJ did to knock the ball out, those are changing the course of the game when you talk about turning the ball over.”
Tough place to kick – Rookie kicker Cade York has struggled at home compared to on the road.
With two missed field goals Saturday, York has made 9 of 15 field goals and 15 of 17 PATs at home compared to 13 of 15 field goal makes and a perfect 14 of 14 on PATs on the road.
“Our stadium being on the lake, you are going to deal with the elements, and you are going to deal with the cold,” Stefanski said. “You are going to deal with the cold this week as you look at the forecast. Certainly, the wind picks up. I don’t think the wind was real big factor [Saturday]. That is part of the elements that really both teams have to deal with. I think there is not an advantage or disadvantage in that since both teams have to deal with that.”
Stayin’ alive – Saturday’s 13-3 win over the Ravens kept the Browns alive – barely – for the playoffs.
Cleveland is 11th in the AFC by virtue of a tiebreaker with the Steelers, who are also 6-8 but the Steelers are 12th because of the Week 2 loss in Cleveland.
The 6-8 Jaguars are 10th after beating the Cowboys in overtime Sunday afternoon. The Jets fell to 7-7 with a loss to the red hot Lions and are ninth. New England fell from the final Wild Card spot to eighth.
The current AFC Wild Cards are 9-5 Baltimore, the 8-6 Chargers and 8-6 Dolphins.
Injury report – Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is in the concussion protocol and safety John Johnson III has a thigh contusion according to Stefanski.
Up next – Players off Monday, practice Tuesday.