3 Stars For Cleveland Browns In Loss To Las Vegas Raiders

The Cleveland Browns fall to 1-3 after a 20-16 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Here were the three stars for Cleveland.

Sep 29, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) looks to make a pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The 2024 season just went from bad to worse as the Cleveland Browns lost on the road to the Las Vegas Raiders 20-16. The loss now leaves Cleveland with an abysmal 1-3 record to start the year.

Another loss that Cleveland had plenty of opportunities to win brings up numerous concerns. Amari Cooper's hands are still questionable after an easy catch turned into a costly interception. Why did Kevin Stefanski burn a timeout prior to the fourth down play? Even if you fail on that conversion, three timeouts means that the Raiders cannot just take three kneel downs.

Honestly, the list of issues could go on and on due to the missed PAT and horrible holding call that took a go-ahead touchdown off the board.

Despite the disappointment from this result, a few players still had good a relatively good game. Here were the three stars.

Deshaun Watson

Watson's tenure with the Cleveland Browns has been nothing short of a failed experiment. If the team keeps losing, the chances of them tanking for a top draft pick and new quarterback is increasingly likely.

However, Watson does deserve some credit for his performance against the Raiders. The starting quarterback put the football in spots where his receivers could make plays and should haul in receptions. With numerous backups playing on the offensive line, Watson also used his feet to evade pressure when necessary. He did a nice job with his decision making in this game.

Sep 29, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) braces for the tackles of Las Vegas Raiders safety Isaiah Pola-Mao (20) and Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Amari Burney (56) during the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The sad thing about this probably being one of Watson's best performances for the Browns is that his stat line was only 24 of 32 for 176 yards and one touchdown. The interception was not on Watson but actually the fault of Cooper. The stats could have looked much better if the long touchdown pass was not called back for holding and the team likely would have won.

Watson does not deserve much blame for this game which has not been something said about most losses in recent times.

Blake Whiteheart

Whiteheart was a new addition to the active roster this week and made a name for himself right away. The former Wake Forest tight end is in his second NFL season after being signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2023.

In just his third appearance in an NFL game, Whiteheart scored the first touchdown of his professional career. Not only did he score a touchdown but he tallied three catches for 13 yards.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

JOK was once again all over the field for the Browns defense. The linebacker led the way with nine total tackles (six solo) and one tackle for loss.

He still looks to be in Pro Bowl form after a strong season last year.