The clock is more than ticking.
It’s thumping.
And it’s counting down Deshaun Watson’s time as a starting quarterback.
For the Browns. And most likely in the NFL.
Jaguars 34, Browns 10: Atrocious opener for Todd Monken, Deshaun Watson, defense
The Browns were dominated 34-10 Sunday in Jacksonville to open the season and Todd Monken’s tenure as coach. While it certainly wasn’t all Watson’s fault — more on that to come — he did nothing to prove he deserved to be the starter ahead of Shedeur Sanders.
Monken didn’t commit to starting Watson next week at Tampa Bay, saying he’d “rather just talk about today” and “until I really drill down, it’s unfair for me really to comment on any given player.” But the expectation is he sticks with Watson for the second game of the Florida swing as originally planned.
Then the Browns return home to face Carolina in Week 3. Monken was always going to have a decision to make then, especially after Watson ripped the fans’ treatment of him during the preseason.
Watson is well on his way to making that decision a simple one.
Defense can’t stop Trevor Lawrence and Jaguars in opening blowout
His final numbers were fine — 16-for-22 for 205 yards, a touchdown, an interception, a 97.7 passer rating — but don’t come close to painting an accurate picture of his performance. The interception came on the season’s opening drive after reaching the Jaguars 28-yard line. He thought he could get the pass over linebacker Foyesade Oluokun.
“He let it rip. He just didn’t see him or the defender made a great play on it,” Monken said.
The Jaguars pounced. They turned the turnover into a touchdown and didn’t stop scoring until they led 34-3 in the third quarter.
The outcome was decided by halftime, when Watson was 8-for-13 for 75 yards, two sacks, an interception and a 45.4 rating. He finished with five sacks, and his stats were bailed out by a 46-yard touchdown to rookie Denzel Boston with 1:52 left.
“It really wasn’t all him. That’s unfair,” Monken said of the struggles. “Certainly could have called it better. Certainly could have played better around him. Certainly there’s plays I’m sure he wished he had back.”
Monken’s right.
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The defense missed defensive end Myles Garrett and coordinator Jim Schwartz. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence picked it apart, whether the coverage was tight or busted. The tackling was shoddy. The pass rush wasn’t much of a factor, including new end Jared Verse, who had four tackles, one for loss, but didn’t hit the quarterback.
The whole team was sloppy. The Browns were penalized 11 times for 75 yards, and Monken had to burn at least one timeout to avoid a delay of game penalty.
“I’m the head coach of this team and it’s not good enough,” he said.
Monken listed a variety of reasons for the poor operation. They didn’t get in and out of the huddle fast enough, the skill players on the sideline “got to be ready,” the ball didn’t get snapped when the play clock was low and Watson was calling for it.
“That’s something I pride myself in. And whether it’s the length of the calls or us getting in and out of the huddle and our skill guys getting lined up, that’s not good enough,” Monken said.
Watson was supposed to help all that. His experience was a major reason Monken picked him to begin the season as the starter, because he should be better than Sanders — who’s in his second year — dealing with all the obstacles of a road game.
Watson wasn’t able to save anything.
Although Monken disagreed, Watson looked rattled after the early interception. He continues to look uncomfortable in the pocket. His accuracy hasn’t come back after shoulder surgery in 2023.
He was able to run for a team-high 38 yards on six carries but isn’t the same athlete he once was. And those scrambles and designed runs have an expiration date.
Monken is right to want to watch the film before saying who’ll start at quarterback vs. Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers. He’d also be right to stay with Watson. The decision was never for one game, and it would be too impulsive to make the switch.
That changes Week 3.
The home crowd doesn’t want to see Watson. Sanders needs to play for the organization to make an accurate evaluation. Unless Watson turns into Lamar Jackson in Week 2, there will be no need to see any more of him. The “big swing and miss” isn’t turning into a home run.
“Whatever there is externally doesn’t matter to me. That doesn’t affect me,” Monken said. “My decision-making is what’s best for the Browns now and moving forward.”
That seems obvious after the opener. And unlikely to change with the clock counting down.
