Browns Keep Getting Bad News - How Will They Handle It?

Cleveland has yet another substantial injury to deal with - this one to Deshaun Watson. Will it ruin the Browns' Super Bowl aspirations?

The hits just keep on coming for the Cleveland Browns.

Nobody in the NFL is going to beg for sympathy, and that certainly includes Cleveland. But how unlucky can a team get over the course of a season?

The Browns have played nine games this year and they are squarely in the middle of a playoff race with a 6-3 record and Pittsburgh coming to town on Sunday. That's especially impressive considering they've managed to do that while sustaining injuries to one best running backs in the NFL (Nick Chubb), both of their starting offensive tackles (Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills) AND their best backup (Dawand Jones), and most importantly now, their franchise quarterback.

Wednesday's news is devastating - there's really no other way to put it. The team mortgaged it's future to acquire a player of Deshaun Watson's caliber, but Watson has had a really hard time staying on the field in Cleveland. Between the suspension he was required to serve and the slew of injuries he's faced the last couple years, his time in Cleveland has left fans feeling a wide range of emotions.

When he's played well, Watson has played very well. The second half of the game against Baltimore on Sunday was truly outstanding. Completing all 14 passes with a fractured shoulder and high ankle sprain against that Ravens defense, on the road, while leading a game-winning drive, is pretty remarkable. He also played terrific against the Tennessee Titans earlier this year.

But the combination of injuries and bad moments have left a lot of fans feeling sucker-punched. Watson's play is probably best described as inconsistent since becoming a Cleveland Brown. Perhaps this news hits a little harder because he appeared to be turning the corner and the team is making a serious playoff push.

Nov 12, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) walks to the sidelines during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium / © Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Browns are projecting optimism publicly, but this has to really sting inside their walls. It's a weird dichotomy to have a team that's playing well in spite of taking on injuries to so many players at critical positions - particularly when the team has assembled a Super Bowl-caliber defense.

It's easy to wonder "what might have been" had this team been able to compete at full strength all year.

All that said, it's a team game. The season isn't over. There are several teams around the league that have really good quarterbacks that don't likely have a great shot at winning a Super Bowl because those teams are weak in other areas. Philadelphia won a Super Bowl with Nick Foles at quarterback.

The Browns have proven they can overcome adversity as well as anyone in the NFL, and I argued a few weeks ago that Kevin Stefanski may be doing his best coaching job. Andrew Berry said Wednesday that Stefanski has three super powers: intelligence, creativity and his ability to stay emotionally even-keeled. Time to see how he can deal with another haymaker.