The Cleveland Browns fell to 3-9 with a loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, but fans have to admit that Jameis Winston remained in the game as the team's starting quarterback. I don't get it.
He has won games against two divisional opponents: the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Near the end of the first half on Monday, ESPN color commentator and Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman spoke about the Browns' quarterback situation.
In the synopsis, he called struggling quarterback Deshaun Watson, who will miss the rest of the season, an “albatross.”
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Former NFL quarterback and television commentator Troy Aikman before the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cincinnati Bengals at Everbank Stadium on December 4, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“You know, this is a tough league,” Aikman began his monologue via Awful Announcing. “And we all talk about equality. But when it comes to your hometown team, no one wants to hear that. And Kevin Stefanski is an outstanding football coach, and he He's proven that. He's won Coach of the Year twice. He was promoted to the same group last year with the goal of making it to the postseason. They started with four quarterbacks but went down with injuries.
“I get that. You know, this year hasn't been what people thought it would be, but the albatross is Deshaun Watson. If you went to Jameis Winston earlier this year, this looks different. 'Cause I think defensively.'' The struggles are, at least in part, related to how the offense has been running the football, which has affected the play of the defense as well. I think there are. ”
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Aikman doubled down in the second half of the game when Winston had 355 passing yards and Jerry Jeudy caught six of them for 167 yards and a touchdown.
“I can't help but wonder what this year would have been like for Cleveland if Jameis had taken over from the beginning, or at least much earlier than when he took over,” Aikman said. “I know Deshaun Watson went down with a torn Achilles tendon, but it was really tough to watch him offensively.”
The Browns' season is effectively over in terms of playoff contention, but the organization is looking for a quarterback after Watson started the season 1-6 before tearing his Achilles tendon on Oct. 20 against the Cincinnati Bengals. There's a lot of work to do at the position.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston passes the ball during the first quarter of a game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. (Ron Chenoy/Imagine Images)
During those games, Watson threw for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions, but was sacked 33 times.
Since Winston took over Stefanski's offense, the Browns have gone 2-3 with 1,680 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions in the five games the 30-year-old has started.
Watson's biggest issue is the $230 million contract he signed that keeps him under Cleveland's control until the 2027 season, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Are the Browns hoping Watson can recover and try to find his way again, replicating the magic he had in Houston with the Texans? Or does the organization want to move forward, especially given the off-field allegations that continue after numerous civil lawsuits that led to an 11-game suspension in 2022?
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson looks for an open receiver during the second half of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 15, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (AP Photo/Ferrand M. Ebenhack)
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The Browns will ponder these very questions as they evaluate Winston during the team's remaining five games, starting with Sunday's rematch with the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
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