Deshaun Watson is coming off a win and one of his best games in five years with the Browns.
That hasn’t silenced the questions ahead of the home opener this afternoon against the Carolina Panthers.
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How will the home crowd treat him in his first appearance at Huntington Bank Field since criticizing fans?
Can he handle it mentally if he’s booed again? He said in August he wasn’t sure.
Was the strong performance against the Buccaneers last week a true breakthrough and a sign of things to come?
Coach Todd Monken, who would’ve considered benching Watson if he played poorly against Tampa Bay, has gone all-in this week propping up his quarterback. He said Monday he’s got “a lot of football left,” then doubled down Friday.
“He’s had his best week, you know, he really has,” Monken said. “I think that’s been building from becoming the starter, after the first week being disappointed and the second half that he played last week. I think his confidence should be at an all-time high, and the excitement of an opportunity, a third opportunity to continue to just grow and develop as a player. Because, again, he’s just scratching the surface the last couple days, couple weeks.”
Monken believes it’s the coaches’ responsibility to have the players’ backs. He’s been extremely supportive of Watson publicly, including naming him the starter after Watson cranked up the temperature with his comments about the fans after the Bills preseason game.
Watson may have calmed the fans’ reaction today by beating Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers, as he went 24-for-30 for 238 yards, two touchdowns and a 121.9 passer rating. But one good game, which followed a poor outing in the opening loss to the Jaguars, isn’t nearly enough to win over his harshest critics after four years of disappointment and disapproval.
It remains to be seen exactly how Watson will be greeted and treated — if things go well or poorly. His comments a month ago made it clear he hadn’t forgotten or forgiven some in the home crowd cheering when his Achiiles tendon ruptured in October 2024.
“The biggest thing, I never try to go at war with the fans,” he said Wednesday when asked if he had a message for the fans. “So I think the biggest thing is just ready for support, ready to feel their energy, ready to get this big dub for the city of Cleveland and continue this great feeling that we have this week.”
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Monken said he hadn’t talked to Watson about handling the crowd reaction but said “he’s not on his own” and should feel emboldened.
“We’re all here for him,” Monken said. “What have you done all the work for, man? What have you worked for 22 months to come back? To play and give yourself a chance to play at a high level. I said: ‘Let it rip. What do you have to fear? You’ve already had a hell of a career. Let’s just go down fighting, go back, go down swinging.”
Coordinator Travis Switzer said Watson’s work during the week should give him comfort.
“There’s a lot of things and preparation that go into being able to win a football game in the NFL on Sundays. And that’s something that from the time I’ve been around him, he’s been awesome with,” Switzer said. “He really prepares, and I think that’s what gives him the confidence, and that’s why we’re also like, ‘let it rip, you’re ready.’ We saw it last week especially.”
Monken’s thinking that Watson will only get better is based on his history — past and recent.
He was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Texans before sitting out a year and getting traded to the Browns. Since the blockbuster in 2022, he’s been sidelined by a suspension and major injuries. He was limited to 19 games before this year, including sitting out all of last season.
Then he split the first-team repetitions throughout the offseason and preseason during his competition with Shedeur Sanders. Monken believes that hurt Watson’s readiness for the season and that he’s been getting much better since receiving all the first-team reps after being named the starter Aug. 24.
“It’s fair to think that after being injured, being out, that there’s going to be some kind of a buffer there, kind of some growing to do and some building back your confidence, for sure,” Monken said. “There’s a lot of that that goes into constantly getting reps at what you do. Changes in offenses, changes in coaches, you getting hurt.”
Watson agrees he’s got a lot left in the tank.
“I feel like I’m 10 years in but still got a lot of football to play definitely for myself,” he said.
In his mind, the Tampa Bay game was proof.
“I know my preparation. I know what I put in, the time I put in, the thought, the sacrifice that I put in for that moment on Sunday,” he said. “I love the game. I love what the game brings to this locker room as a team. And I just enjoy playing the game and this is what I’ve been doing my whole life. I want to continue to play for as long as possible.”
A key to the continued success of Watson and the Browns will be him making plays with his legs. He converted third downs with a designed run and a scramble on the winning touchdown drive and avoided pressure for a short completion on another.
It was always part of his game, but he had never played at 31 years old and after an Achilles ruptured twice.
“I’ve felt comfortable really since last year when I started practicing, honestly,” he said.
“It’s huge. Even if it’s one or two third-down conversions a game, over the course of a season it’s a big deal,” Switzer said. “And it’s just another thing that defenses have to account for. There are certain things that they’re not going to do if they respect the quarterback’s legs. So it’s kind of a domino effect really.”
If Watson had been hesitant to put his body at risk after the Achilles and shoulder injuries, he’s gotten past it, telling Monken to use his legs.
“He wants to contribute as much as he can in any way,” tight end Blake Whiteheart told The Chronicle-Telegram. “Kudos to him for the way he’s worked back from his Achilles and how fresh and fast and still agile he looks with his legs and how he can use his legs.”
