Texans have a conflict of interest between the QB Deshaun Watson wants to be and the QB Houston needs
CLEVELAND, Ohio — When Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson rolled out Sunday with a victory in the balance, a fan base and its franchise quarterback saw different pictures.
Browns fans saw a disaster brewing. Coach Kevin Stefanski called a play-action pass on a third-and-6 with 1:37 to play in Jacksonville, causing viewers to yell at their televisions. “Why are we throwing?!” they shrieked. Then, when Watson encountered pressure, “Please just take the sack!”
The quarterback, on the other hand, saw Cedric Tillman sneaking behind an unprepared Jacksonville defense. If Watson could just shake Jacksonville edge rusher Josh Hines-Allen, he thought to himself …
“I saw a touchdown,” Watson said Wednesday when asked about the third down. “You gotta give Allen credit (for) making a great play. Tillman, he did his job of selling a block. We got outside, and he ran a corner.
In other words, Watson thought he saw a touchdown, but he couldn’t shake Hines-Allen and did not eat the sack. Instead, Watson threw an incomplete pass for Tillman that stopped the clock and left the Jaguars enough time for a would-be game-winning drive. Cleveland’s defense stiffened, and the Browns won 18-13 — no harm, no foul.
But going forward, I wonder how Cleveland’s playoff hopes mesh with a vision for big plays that, as Watson said this week, is part of his football fabric.
“That’s been part of my game since high school, college, even in the pros,” Watson said. “I’ve always been that type of player to try to make the first two guys miss and make something happen after that. So it’s just something that is part of me, I guess.”
No guesswork required: Watson has long possessed a golden trait blending instinct, wiggle and strength that frustrated defenders who could grab, wrap and hit the Browns quarterback, but seldom bring him down. He won a national championship (and played for another) at Clemson by flexing those traits. He dragged an undermanned Texans team to the playoffs by following his instincts. And his best moments in Cleveland have reminded fans that, at his peak, Watson’s rewards outweigh the risks required to earn them.
But while Browns fans wait to see Watson’s peak more consistently, I see a conflict of interest: These Browns, armed with a dominant defense and, when healthy, a formidable rushing attack, could win many games with a cautious quarterback. And this version of Watson, still regaining his spider sense after 14 games played since 2020, could benefit from managing games until he re-learns to take them over.
But I’m not sure Watson can separate the player Cleveland needs now from the player he wants to become again. And I worry that the growing pains could hurt the Browns’ postseason hopes.
