Browns Opponents Point To Deshaun Watson's Flaws, Confidence Issues

Cleveland Browns opponents are noticing several things that are impacting Deshaun Watson's performance this year.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson heads back to the locker room with his teammates before an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson continued to struggle on Sunday, as the Browns fell to the New York Giants in their Week 3 matchup.

Apparently, other teams are really beginning to notice Watson's deficiencies.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated spoke with representatives from each of Cleveland's three opponents so far this season, and while they acknowledged that the run game has certainly lacked and the offensive line hasn't provided great protection, there are noticeable problems with Watson's accuracy and footwork. They also surmised that some of his mistakes seem to stem from a lack of confidence. So, evidently, the Dallas Cowboys, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Giants have all observed similar issues.

Of course, it's hard to pin all of Cleveland's offensive struggles on Watson.

The Browns' offensive line has been absolutely decimated by injuries, the running game has been shaky and even Amari Cooper had been laboring up until Sunday, when he finally broke through with a couple of touchdown catches.

However, Watson is the quarterback, so he will naturally bear the brunt of the blame. Plus, he has a fully-guaranteed $230 million contract, and Cleveland parted with substantial draft capital to initially acquire him from the Houston Texans back in 2022. He was brought in to help the team rise above other offensive deficiencies, not fall victim to them.

Throw in the fact that more legal issues have surfaced for Watson and you'll see that the 2024 campaign has not exactly been too kind to the three-time Pro Bowler.

Through the first three games of the season, Watson has thrown for 551 yards, three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions while completing 57.8 percent of his passes and registering a passer rating of 71.4. The only QB in the NFL with a lower QBR through three weeks is Carolina Panthers youngster Bryce Young (and he's already been benched).

Watson went 21-for-37 with 196 yards and two touchdowns in the Browns' 21-15 loss to the Giants.

Cleveland is 1-2 and will try to right the ship against the Las Vegas Raiders next weekend.