Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns are searching for answers on offense, but the quarterback doesn’t think additional designed runs for him is an idea head coach Kevin Stefanski should experiment with.
“I’m not going in there to ask them for more designed runs. … if I don’t have to run, I’m not going to run,” Watson said on Wednesday, according to ESPN. “I’m not trying to take any hits. … I’m not a running quarterback, in a sense. I can make things happen, but I’m not trying to run.
“I’m not a running back. It’s not my specialty. They signed me to throw the ball, make decisions and be a quarterback, not a runner.”
Referencing the season-ending shoulder injury that he underwent in November 2023, Watson said that suffering an injury on a run would be “a lose-lose situation” for him and Stefanski, the reigning NFL Coach of the Year.
All in all, Cleveland’s offense has been one of the worst in the NFL out of the gate, averaging just 152.3 passing yards (30th in the NFL), 95.7 rushing yards (24th), 248.0 total yards (31st) and 16.7 points (25th) per game. The Browns have failed to score 20 points in a single game.
Watson has totaled just 551 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, two interceptions and a 71.4 passer rating, while completing 57.8% of his passes. He has also been sacked more than any quarterback in the league (16), most recently being sacked eight times in Cleveland’s Week 3 loss to the New York Giants. To boot, right tackle Jack Conklin (hamstring) and guard Joel Bitonio (knee) are dealing with injuries.
“It’s everybody. It’s from myself, the coaches, the offensive line, tight ends, running backs, wide receivers, quarterbacks. It’s everybody,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said about the team’s efforts to protect Watson, according to The Associated Press. “And everybody has a job to do in order to keep the quarterback clean.”
On the rushing front, Watson has rushed for 85 yards and one touchdown this season and was previously a respectable threat with his legs for the Houston Texans. Across his final three seasons suiting up (he sat out 2021) for the Texans (2018-20), Watson averaged 469 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns per season.
Watson, a three-time Pro Bowler, is in his third season with the Browns, a tenure mired in turmoil. He appeared in just the last six games of the 2022 season after serving an 11-game suspension due to over 20 lawsuits accusing Watson of sexual misconduct that were later settled out of court. Watson then played just six games again in 2023, as he suffered the aforementioned season-ending shoulder injury. Cleveland went on to finish 11-6 and reach the playoffs in Watson’s absence behind 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco, who took over for Watson at quarterback.
Next up for Watson and the Browns (1-2) is a road matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) on Sunday.
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National Football League
Cleveland Browns
Deshaun Watson
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