Cleveland’s season opener turned into a nightmare almost immediately, and Deshaun Watson ended up right at the center of it.
In his first game back since 2024, Watson’s day started with an interception on the opening drive and never really recovered. The Browns were beaten 34-10, and the early turnover helped set the tone for a game that quickly got away from them.
Watson did finish with 205 passing yards and a touchdown, but those numbers don’t do much to soften the picture. The scoring throw came late, long after the outcome was settled, even if the pass itself was a beauty to Denzel Boston.
For Cleveland, the ugly part is that the performance may still have been enough to keep Watson in the lineup. Head coach Todd Monken made it clear Watson gave the team the best option to win, which puts the Browns in a tough spot. If Shedeur Sanders were to replace him now, it would immediately invite questions about how Sanders could be expected to do better than what Watson showed Sunday.
That leaves the Browns where they didn’t want to be: stuck with Watson, at least for the moment, after an offense that managed only 10 points. He looked uneasy early, then opened up only once the game had already slipped into garbage time and the Jacksonville defense seemed to back off.
The late touchdown did at least put a clean throw on film and offered a reminder that some of Watson’s old talent is still there. But the bigger takeaway was hard to ignore: the Browns lost big, Watson struggled for most of the afternoon, and he still may have done enough to earn another start.
It wasn’t just the quarterback, either. Cleveland’s defense looked nothing like the 2025 version it was supposed to be. Jacksonville receivers found space all over the secondary, and Trevor Lawrence finished with four touchdown passes.
Mason Graham was the only Browns defender to record a sack, while Jared Verse fell short of the lofty expectations that followed his arrival in the Myles Garrett trade.
The whole operation was messy. The offense never found a rhythm, the defense leaked all day, and Monken made things worse in the eyes of many by kicking a field goal while trailing 31-0. A shutout might have forced a quarterback change, for better or worse, but that never happened.
Now Cleveland heads back to Florida to face Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mayfield is expected to have revenge on his mind, and plenty of Browns fans will likely be rooting for him to get it.
In Other News...
Cavs Fans Just Got A New Way To Watch Key Matchups
Cavaliers fans will have a new, no-cost way to keep up with a big chunk of the regular season after the team and Gray Media, working with DAZN, announced that 15 games will air over the air for free next season. The broadcasts will be carried on WOIO, WUAB and the Rock Entertainment Sports Network, giving viewers in Cleveland and across the state another option beyond the usual pay-TV setup.
The package comes with full pregame and postgame coverage, and the schedule already includes specific dates and opponents, though it remains subject to change. For a fan base that follows every key matchup closely, the move should make it easier to catch the Cavs without having to hunt down a subscription first. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Fans Now Know What Following This Team Will Cost
Cavaliers fans now have a clearer picture of how theyll be able to follow the team this season, with Cleveland entering an exclusive broadcasting agreement with DAZN for its games. The setup splits the local viewing options, with 15 games set to air for free beginning Oct. 26 on Gray Media stations and Rock Entertainment Sports Network, while the rest of the schedule moves behind a subscription.
For season and half-season ticket holders, there is some relief in the form of a free season pass subscription to access the games. For everyone else, the change means the price of keeping up with the Cavs will no longer just be measured in wins and losses, but in another monthly bill for fans who want to watch nearly every night. [Read more 🡒]
Delonte West Just Gave Cavaliers Fans A Reason To Smile
Delonte Wests name has been in the news again for reasons Cavaliers fans can feel good about. The former Cleveland guard has completed 100 days in a wellness and recovery program in Florida and is reportedly sober, a meaningful update for a player whose post-NBA life has often drawn concern far more than celebration. West last played professionally in 2015, but he has recently shown he can still handle a basketball, including in a one-on-one game against a YouTuber.
There is also a familiar basketball twist ahead for him. The NBA plans to include West as a playable character in NBA 2K27, with royalty payments set to begin in March 2027, giving him a new kind of presence in the game years after his playing career ended. For a fan base that remembers both the talent and the struggles, it is a small but welcome reminder that Wests story is still moving forward. [Read more 🡒]