CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Browns addition of three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson has made them AFC North favorites according to some some Las Vegas sportsbooks.
One member of the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals shrugged it off when asked by a reporter Tuesday about Cleveland being favored over them.
“Vegas gets it wrong sometimes too,” defensive tackle DJ Reader told reporters via video of his availability posted on the Bengals website. “You know, they win most of the time, they’re the house, but they get it wrong a lot of times too. Who cares? It seems like it goes through us right now so until someone comes and takes it from us, I’m going to be confident in us.”
Reader played with Watson in Houston where he got a front row seat of Watson’s electrifying ability for three seasons before he joined the Bengals.
He’ll be opposite of and looking to contain Watson at least twice this season as the Browns look to rebound from a disappointing 8-9 finish in 2020.
“They got a lot better,” Reader said. “He's a really competitive player, a really good player… He was like Michael Jordan that one time. That's my brother. I love Deshaun. He has made some special memories for me as a player just watching him. Being on the other side, I've been blessed to play with some good quarterbacks as of late.”
The Browns have never won the AFC North since its inception in 2002 and they haven’t won a divisional title since the 1989 season.