As Cleveland heads to Florida for a second straight road game, the Browns are staring at a simple truth: Deshaun Watson is not the answer they need right now.
The quarterback talk around this team is already loud, and Watson only added to it this week when he complained about not getting 400 yards and five touchdowns every week. That kind of output is a fantasy, not a plan, and with his five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal in its final season, the Browns are still living with one of the worst contracts in NFL history.
That leaves Cleveland trying to find another path against Tampa Bay, and the most realistic one runs through Quinshon Judkins.
Judkins will have to do heavy lifting against a Buccaneers defense that was top-five in rushing yards allowed last season. He also comes in after a rough Week 1, when he gained just 2.8 yards per carry on 12 attempts in the loss at Jacksonville. That was already below his 2025 average of 3.6 yards per carry.
Still, there’s a reason Judkins stands out in this matchup. Watson was badly ineffective in Week 1, posting a -0.81 EPA per passing play under center, according to Sūmer Sports, while his shotgun dropbacks put extra strain on the offensive line by dragging things out. PFF credited none of Watson’s five sacks to his linemen.
That makes the ground game even more important. Cleveland needs its front to move people, and the run-blocking ability of rookies Spencer Fano and Austin Barber showed up in their first pro games against the Jaguars. If the Browns can create even a little push, they at least give themselves a chance to score before the game gets out of hand.
Of course, this won’t be easy. Vita Vea and A’Shawn Robinson make life difficult for any run game, and Tampa Bay is not exactly handing out free yards.
But if Cleveland can make some progress up front, Judkins could be in position to test rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter, who had a big Week 1 with a defensive touchdown off a Joe Burrow pick and a sack. Trotter already flashed against the pass; the Browns need to see what he looks like when the run game comes at him directly.
Cleveland’s depth makes the challenge even tougher. No. 2 back Dylan Sampson is on IR, which leaves third-stringer Raheim Sanders to help carry the load behind Judkins.
So if the Browns are going to keep things close as +8.5 underdogs, the run game may have to carry them. Waiting for Watson to deliver the version of himself the Browns keep talking about feels like a bad bet. Judkins is the more realistic swing.
In Other News...
Browns Fans Can Already See Where This QB Talk Might Be Going
The latest Browns quarterback chatter is already drifting beyond the usual offseason noise, and it centers on a name that naturally grabs attention in Cleveland: Arch Manning. According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora, an NFL personnel executive says owner Jimmy Haslam wants the Texas quarterback, while Deshaun Watson reportedly wants out, adding another layer to a situation that has been unsettled for a while.
ESPN Clevelands Tony Rizzo also reported that Haslam is pursuing Nick Saban for a non-coaching role that could potentially align with Manning, which only adds to the sense that the Browns long-term direction is being discussed in more than one room. None of it amounts to a confirmed plan to draft Manning or bring in Saban, but the speculation alone is enough to make fans wonder whether the next major Browns move is already taking shape behind the scenes. [Read more 🡒]
Quinshon Judkins Just Made One Browns Concern Even Harder To Ignore
Quinshon Judkins entered the 2025 season with a chance to reset the conversation around Clevelands ground game, especially after the Browns invested in improving the offensive line. Instead, his opener offered more of the same concern from last year, when his rookie rushing production trended the wrong way and the efficiency never quite matched the expectations around him.
The line did its part in Week 1, ranking seventh in run-block win rate, which makes Judkins 2.8 yards per carry harder to brush off as a blocking issue. For a Browns offense that wants stability and balance, the question is getting tougher by the week: whether the problem is the support around him, or whether Cleveland is now looking at a back whose own play is becoming the bigger issue. [Read more 🡒]
Deshaun Watson Is Closing In On A Browns Mark Fans Dread
Deshaun Watsons latest stretch in Cleveland has put an unwelcome number on the board for the Browns. After six straight losses as the teams starting quarterback, he heads into an upcoming matchup with the Buccaneers carrying the kind of momentum no quarterback wants, and the possibility of adding another defeat to a skid that has already lingered longer than anyone around the team would like.
If the streak reaches seven, it would stand as the longest by a Browns quarterback since DeShone Kizers 15-game slide in 2017, a reminder of how quickly quarterback frustration can become part of the franchise backdrop. Watson has stayed publicly upbeat through it, expressing confidence and a determination to keep improving, but the longer the losses pile up, the more attention turns from what he says to what the Browns can actually reverse on the field. [Read more 🡒]