Deshaun Watson’s production for the Browns still comes with plenty of uneven stretches, but there’s been a noticeable shift in how Cleveland is using him over the last two games. The ball is traveling farther downfield, the offense is taking more shots, and the Browns are at least giving fans a version of Watson they’ve long been waiting to see.
That was on display again in Sunday’s win over the Ravens, even after Cleveland opened the game with a sluggish first half against Todd Monken’s offense. The Browns managed only three first downs, five punts and no points before the break. After that, the attack woke up, and Watson’s recent trend of pushing the ball deeper kept rolling.
The numbers back it up. According to Pro Football Reference, Watson’s season ADOT - average depth of target, whether the pass is completed or not - sits at 7.3 air yards per attempt, a mark below league average.
That puts him in a cluster with names like Justin Herbert, Michael Penix and Aaron Rodgers. But the bigger story is the climb.
In Week 4, during Cleveland’s win over Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Watson’s ADOT was just 6.86 yards, which landed him in the bottom 10 quarterbacks for that week. Then came Week 5 in the rain against the Jets at MetLife Stadium, when that number jumped to 9.72.
Against Baltimore, it stayed elevated at 8.7, just outside the top 10 at the position.
The Browns aren’t suddenly living off quick-game chaos and easy completions. They’re doing less of the short stuff and more of the aggressive stuff.
That’s the adjustment fans have been demanding from the $230 million quarterback. Before his first Achilles injury in 2024, Watson averaged a career-low 4.1 air yards per completion.
Earlier in his Houston run, his ADOT usually lived in the 8.5 to 9.0 range. Cleveland has spent far too much time waiting for that version of him to show up.
There are at least signs that Monken is letting Watson work more freely. He’s been given the chance to create off-script, and he’s spending less time hanging around in the pocket. Per PFR, Watson is averaging just 2.4 seconds in the pocket per dropback this season, which would be the quickest bail rate of his career if it holds.
Against the Ravens, that quicker decision-making showed up in the second half. Watson looked sharper, got rid of the ball faster, and finished with six completions of 12 yards or more. One of them was a 33-yard strike to Jerry Jeudy on Cleveland’s game-winning drive in the final two minutes.
That said, the Browns still aren’t getting clean, steady quarterback play. Watson has been inconsistent, especially early in games, and the sacks remain a problem.
His 24 sacks lead the league. He’s delivered four game-winning drives, but that kind of escape act is not something a team can count on every week.
The way the Jets loss unraveled at the end was a reminder of how quickly those moments can turn.
Still, the changes are real enough to notice. The Browns are making adjustments, and the offense has shown some life because of them. After a rough stretch that left plenty of fans fed up with the whole Watson era, this season has at least opened the door to a different conversation.
Watson still may not be all the way back. But he is making real progress toward the kind of quarterback play Cleveland thought it was buying five years ago.
In Other News...
Browns Suddenly Have Two Young Players Forcing A Tough Rotation Call
With the Browns sitting at 4-2 and alone atop the AFC North after six weeks, the attention in Cleveland has started to shift from the standings to how the rotation holds up as the season wears on. One of the more interesting questions inside the building now centers on how much more work running back J. K. McLaughlin might earn after making the most of limited carries, especially with head coach Todd Monken weighing the eventual return of Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson.
The same kind of squeeze could be coming in the secondary, where McNeil-Warren has also played his way into the conversation for a larger role. Injuries have opened the door for both players, and their recent performances have made it harder to simply hand those snaps back once the roster gets healthier. Monken has said he is hopeful Judkins and Sampson will return, but Cleveland now has a pair of young players making a strong case that the answer to the rotation question is not as simple as it looked a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Face One Test That Could Decide Their Playoff Push
At 4-2 and sitting atop the AFC North, Cleveland has put itself in a far better position than many expected, with wins over both the Steelers and Ravens giving the Browns an early edge in the division race. The schedule ahead looks manageable on paper, with most of the remaining opponents carrying losing records, which only sharpens the sense that this is a team with a real chance to stay in the playoff hunt deep into the season.
Still, the path is far from simple for a club that has historically had trouble finishing off divisional sweeps and turning hot starts into postseason security. The Browns only have a couple of games left against teams that present a more obvious challenge in the Giants and Raiders, and if they want to convert this strong opening into a berth, handling the games they are expected to win may end up mattering just as much as the head-to-head battles that have already gone their way. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Own The AFC North And The Pressure Is On
The AFC North looks upside down through six weeks, with Cleveland sitting atop the division even while carrying the worst point differential among the four clubs. It is the kind of early-season twist that keeps the standings interesting and the rest of the division close enough to make every snap matter, especially with Baltimore still hanging around the playoff picture and Pittsburgh trying to build on an overtime win despite some uneven play.
Cincinnati, coming out of its bye week, now finds itself in a more difficult spot as it tries to close the gap and steady an offense that has not found an easy rhythm. For Cleveland, the bigger issue is not just holding first place, but proving it can keep it while the pressure ramps up from rivals that have already shown they can stay in the race. [Read more 🡒]