BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Deshaun Watson might have the week off to rehab his aching right shoulder, but he’s still dodging rumors, speculation and innuendos from national pundits like defenders.
Here’s our top Brownie Bites from Thursday as Watson continues to dominate the headlines.
Return fire – Despite being ruled out for the week, Watson walked in front of cameras and microphones to address his injury and fielded questions about speculation coming from the national media about his desire to play. “Why wouldn't I want to play. I just worked my ass off for two years to get back to playing. So why wouldn't I want to play? This is what I've been doing since I was six years old, so why wouldn't I want to play,” Watson said. “I see the same thing. I see all the narratives, this, that third. I mean all that stuff is just trying to cause controversy and commotion. I'm fine, I'm happy. I'm not happy with the injury, but I'm in a great space mentally. I'm in a great space spiritually. Physically everything else is in a great space except my shoulder. So we’re working hard to get that back.” One of those narratives was floated by Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, who speculated Watson might be trying to work his way out of Cleveland. “Why would I do that?,” Watson responded. “None of those national people know me. They don't talk to me, so why would anybody listen to any of that stuff? All of that is speculation. So if it ain't coming from me, then all that other s*** is bull****.” Watson also tried to put to rest the notion that there is friction between him and the organization over this whole situation. “There's no negative vibes or negative energy with this team, with this locker room or anything,” Watson said. “We're 4-2. This energy in this locker room and this team and the coaching staff, the front office, we're in a great space. We enjoy our victories. We don't care how we get 'em, as long as we get those W’s and we keep it pushing, we keep it going.”
Dealing with it – Watson wasn’t 100% Sunday in Indianapolis and he acknowledged that he probably won’t be the rest of the season, but the rotator cuff injury is not serious enough to require surgery. “I tried to push through the pain,” Watson said. “I'm trying to get to a percentage where I can go out there and be very, very beneficial for this team and win a lot of games.” When Watson plays again is anyone’s guess. “As soon as possible. Soon as possible,” Watson said. “We just got to go through the process again and rehab and get back with the docs and try to strengthen it as much as possible and get the pain away and try to get back on the field as soon as possible.” Watson won’t play at Seattle and is focused on rehabbing this week after he took a hit from Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingo in the first quarter in Indianapolis. Watson explained medical staff were tending to his shoulder when they came on the field as he laid there after the play and the concussion test came later when the independent neurologist called down for that exam. The reality of the situation is that Watson just can’t throw the football effectively. “I played with injuries before. Being a quarterback you have to throw the ball at the end of the day,” Watson said. “I have a blessed ability to be able to run the ball and extend plays and things like that, but every quarterback don't need that. If it was my left shoulder, then I could still use my right shoulder. But since I can't use my right shoulder and that's my throwing arm, it’s hard to direct balls, it's hard to get the ball where I want it to get to past a certain amount with a certain velocity while defenders [are] running around. So I mean, it's the one thing that I need to play the position at the high level especially. It's like asking a receiver without a hamstring to go run. It's crazy. You can't do that.” Watson completed one pass for five yards with an interception before departing and P.J. Walker took over.
Rare compliment – Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will never be accused of throwing bouquets of compliments but Myles Garrett’s performance in Indianapolis left him no choice Thursday. “Let's be for real, that was a performance for the ages,” Schwartz said. “Two sacks, two strips, both of them. One we scored on defense, the other one the offense scored off of. Blocked kick, an amazing blocked kick. About eight tackles. I mean, eight tackles is hard for a defensive end to make.”
Leap of faith – Ironically, the name of the play call special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone used for Myles Garrett’s leap over the Colts kick protect line that led to Garrett blocking the field goal was called ‘Indy.’ It was a risky call by Ventrone considering the 60-yard attempt and potential for a 15-yard penalty if Garrett hit the lineman on the way down. But Garrett successfully leaped out of his stance, landed cleanly and blocked the kick. “It's a calculated risk, but I had confidence in our guys,” Ventrone said. “We practiced it well and practice execution equals game reality is what a great coach once told me.” Ward was able to scoop up the ball and return it to set up a field goal. “I mean you guys know Myles is a freak, so just to see it, have the game plan before the game and then go in and see him actually do it and get the block—It was a freaky play,” Ward said. “It was crazy.”
Big leg – Kicker Dustin Hopkins came to town hitting 50% of his attempts from beyond 50 yards but he’s been a perfect 7-7 this season. “We've seen it in practice. We've seen him have the timing, the accuracy, the elevation,” Ventrone said. “Everything's been good in practice, and he's done a good job of, like I said, you take it from the practice field to the game. Rarely do you see a play not work in practice, work in a game. So you need to be able to do it in practice and then take it to the game on Sunday. So our guys in all of our units have done that in a pretty good way.” Hopkins has won back-to-cack AFC Special teams Player of the Week awards.
About time – For all the crying this week in Indianapolis over the NFL allegedly admitting they blew two calls late in Sunday’s game that aided the victory, the Browns know all too well about getting the short end of the stick when it comes to officiating. “There's multiple times in my career where I felt we've been on the wrong side of some of those things,” left guard Joel Bitonio said. “I don't know why, one sticks out, but one time Duke Johnson had the ball in his hands after he fumbled and was handing it to the refs and they were still pointing it the other way and I was just, I don't know how this makes any sense, but there's been a few of those moments, you know what I mean, where we've been in the wrong end.” The bizarre Johnson non fumble recovery happened in a 31-20 loss at Washington on October 2, 2016.
Injury report – DNP: LT Jedrick Wills (foot/ankle), RB Jerome Ford (ankle), WR Marquise Goodwin (back), LB Sione Takitaki (hamstring), QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder), DE Za'Darius Smith (rest); LIMITED: DE Ogbo Okoronkwo (ribs), RB Kareem Hunt (thigh), TE David Njoku (knee), LB Anthony Walker (shoulder); FULL: TE Harrison Bryant (hip), DE Alex Wright (concussion), LB Tony Fields (hip) WR Amari Cooper (rest/ankle)