Deshaun Watson turned Thursday night into his loudest argument yet for a future in Cleveland.
By halftime against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Browns quarterback had already put together a sharp line: 14 completions for 181 yards and a touchdown to Harold Fannin Jr. He also helped Cleveland build a 21-10 lead with two rushing touchdowns, one each from Quinshon Judkins and Jaleel McLaughlin.
That was enough to light up the NFL conversation machine. Ryan Clark opened the floodgates with, "What in the 2019 has gotten into Deshaun Watson?"
Eric "PFT Commenter" Sollenberger went straight to the contract angle, saying, "Browns gotta be thinking about giving Deshaun an extension," while Skip Bayless added, "I root for Shedeur so it's hard to root for Deshaun. But so far I'm happy for the Browns."
Others piled on with praise for what they saw from the three-time Pro Bowler. Connor Campbell said, "Dare I say Deshaun Watson is all the way back," and Jason Whitlock called it the best version of Watson he had seen, saying, "This is the best Watson has looked.
Looks amazing so far. ... I'm not going to apologize for being happy for Deshaun Watson.
He's made me a fricking Browns fan. Wow," Albert Breer kept it simple with, "Deshaun Watson looks great.
Seriously," and John Fanta said, "Deshaun Watson is throwing balls down the field at a level he just simply has not in his prior four years in Cleveland. This is simply stunning to watch in real time."
The praise didn’t stop there. Kurt Benkert said, "Deshaun Watson is playing really good football right now," and Breiden Fehoko went even further: "Trust the people who watch the tape and know how football works. Deshaun Watson is back to Houston Texans form all it took was a matter of time."
Watson, though, has spent plenty of time dealing with the opposite kind of reaction in Cleveland. The backlash has followed him through his tenure, driven by his sexual assault lawsuits, which were not fully settled until this February, along with his uneven play. At times, the frustration from Browns fans has gone so far that they celebrated when he suffered season-ending injuries.
Ahead of Thursday’s game, Watson spoke to Taylor Rooks about that weight and how he’s handled it. "The biggest is just my mental state.
I don’t think it’s ever really been the physical part. I was dealing with a lot; I was dealing with the world kind of flipping against me.
And it was hard, honestly. I think being able to grow through that and manage through that, it took time."
As of this writing, Cleveland still held a 21-10 lead.
In Other News...
Browns Win Created A New Offensive Debate Cleveland Can't Ignore
The Browns walked out of Pittsburgh with another win, and it did more than extend their streak to three games and keep them atop the AFC North. It also sharpened the picture of how this offense is trying to win right now, with Jerry Jeudy helping to move the chains on the decisive drive and McLaughlin breaking loose for a 28-yard touchdown on just his second carry in a Browns uniform.
Cade York then finished it off from 56 yards, a career-long kick that extended his streak to 22 straight makes and gave Cleveland a victory built on more than just defense and field position. The result was exactly what the Browns wanted, but it also left a familiar question hanging over an offense that keeps finding different answers in big moments. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Need Mike Hall Jr In A Spot They Feared
Mason Grahams early exit against the Steelers put an already thin Browns defensive line under immediate stress, and it changed the look of the rotation in a hurry. Cleveland has been managing injury issues up front for a while, including Kalia Davis landing on injured reserve, so every snap at defensive tackle matters more than it normally would for a defense built to win with depth and waves.
Maliek Collins helped steady things with a sack after Graham went down, but the bigger concern is how much Cleveland can ask of Mike Hall Jr. from here. The Browns had been hoping to avoid leaning too hard on that part of the roster, and now they may not have much choice if Grahams knee issue lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Monken Had A Sideline Moment Browns Fans Will Notice
For a few minutes on Thursday night, the Browns had a little more than just a comfortable lead over Pittsburgh to enjoy. With Cleveland up 21-7 in the second quarter, head coach Todd Monken was caught on broadcast cameras chatting on the sideline and even drawing a laugh from an official, a rare lighthearted moment in the middle of a division game with plenty on the line.
It stood out because those kinds of exchanges are not usually the part of the night anyone remembers once the game tightens up. In a matchup that would later get more stressful as the Steelers started pushing back, the brief sideline scene offered Browns fans a glimpse of Monken in a looser moment while his team was still in control. [Read more 🡒]