The Browns, who saw an upswing with winning seasons in 2020 and 2023, are now witnessing a noticeable drop in skill and performance. A six-loss and one-win start was made even worse with the loss of quarterback Deshaun Watson in week 7 with a season-ending Achilles injury. Browns fans are left feeling hopeless this season and may be wondering if we’re back to the Browns’ dark days of 2015-2017, where fans got only 4 wins over a three year period.
The Browns didn’t win a single game in the preseason. Browns fans noticed this but speculated that it was just a bad preseason and that they would perform better at the start of the real season.
However, Game 1 was an absolute let down. This game made fans speculate about Deshaun Watson’s reliability as a QB, because in this game Deshaun Watson threw 2 picks. In the first quarter the Browns started off really well after Dallas had kicked the ball and made it into Dallas territory, later scoring a field goal for the team. Later in the game Brandin Cooks scored a touchdown for Dallas making the score 7-3. But the 2nd Quarter was a total bummer for the Browns; they scored 0 points and their defense allowed Dallas to score a touchdown and 2 field goals. The Cowboys were already set to win the game, but in the third quarter they scored a touchdown and a field goal. In this quarter the Browns scored their first TD in the game. Last quarter their fate was sealed–the score was 30 to 10 meaning the Browns would need possession almost the entire 3rd quarter. While the Browns scored another touchdown, fans were outraged at the lackluster plays that Deshaun Watson was making out on the field. Teacher
Christopher Mittinger said after week 3, “Deshaun Watson is just incapable of making plays with his team.” Cleveland.com confirmed that his final stats were poor: “Watson finished the season with five touchdown passes and three interceptions.”
Game 3 is really where Browns fans noticed how far the team had fallen from their last season. Coming off a win of game 2, fans thought that maybe it was just a bad first game for the team. The Giants had never really been seen as one of the best teams, especially in last year’s season. Quarter one seemed good at the start with the Browns scoring the first touchdown of the game, Later in the quarter though, the Giants were able to pull off a touchdown as well tying the game in the first quarter. In the 2nd quarter we saw the Browns defense crumble as they allowed the Giants to score two touchdowns. Fans noticed in this game that the offensive line was not protecting Watson well; his passes were rushed because he was getting pressured so badly. In the 3rd quarter neither side scored. In the 4th quarter in a moment of desperation the Browns scored a touchdown but weren’t able to pull out another and lost the game.
Browns fans were furious about the loss to a recently-struggling team. Obviously, Deshaun was the first person people blamed in addition to bad team coordination. They had averaged 3.9 yards per play.
Paul Destino commented, “Deshaun Watson has no idea what he’s doing outside of center. I think the team is making poor plays. Stupid mistakes. Bad teamwork. ”
In game 5 coming back from another loss to the Raiders, in a tough game, the Browns lost to the Commanders 34-13. First quarter the Browns struggled to pull out a touchdown, and the defense lacked, allowing the Commanders to get a touchdown in the first quarter. The 2nd quarter Browns had gotten a field goal, but still their defense lacked and the Commanders were able to pull out a field goal and 2 touchdowns making the score 24-3. The 3rd quarter Browns started with a field goal, but commanders were able to pull out another touchdown and a field goal making the score 34-6. And to soften the blow the Browns in the 4th quarter got another touchdown ending the game in 34-13.
With the poor start to the season, Deshaun Watson seemed to be the main target of hate, and most fans justified this hate with his bad throws, bad plays, and poor team coordination.
Deshaun Watson commented, “It was tough coming in two years ago, different environment, different team, different all that. So you come in and your character’s been mentioned this way and then kind of flip on you and the biggest thing, you’re trying to get people to like you or improve. But now it’s like, at the end of the day, it’s two years in and if you don’t like me or you have your own opinions, then, yeah, it is what it is. So, I think blocking out all the noise and focusing on me and focusing on what I need to do to be the best Deshaun Watson I could be for myself, my family and my teammates.”
Another main target of scrutiny is the offensive line in general, not being able to protect their QB correctly and placing their QB under a lot of pressure. They have way too many gaps in their defense and when Deshaun steps back to make a pass he’s already getting pressured by the other team’s defense.
ESPN says, “Cleveland’s offensive line has regressed, and injuries, both lingering and new, have only exacerbated the unit’s issues. The Browns lost three offensive linemen — right guard Wyatt Teller, left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr.”
Overall the Browns just really need to step up their game and learn how to make better plays, but now Deshaun is out for the season and Nick Chubb has come back. Even though they’re 1-6, fans look on to see if the Browns can pull out a few more wins this season to save face.
