Baltimore Ravens Jadeveon Clowney Didn't 'Believe' Cleveland Browns' Deshaun Watson Was Sitting Out

Baltimore Ravens edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney had a hard time believing Cleveland Browns' quarterback Deshaun Watson was sitting out of Sunday's game.

The Baltimore Ravens got the better of their AFC North rival, the Cleveland Browns, on Sunday, as they left Cleveland Browns Stadium with a 28-3 win. While the win over their rivals wasn't a surprise, as the Ravens were the favorites heading into Sunday, the real shock was the absence of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.

“I did not believe he was sitting out," Ravens edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney said of Watson's injury. "Even when they told me in this locker room: I was like, man, there’s no way. They’re probably playing with us.”

However, it wasn't a trick. Watson watched from the sidelines as the Browns trotted out Dorian Thompson-Robinson as their starting signal-caller. As the score suggested, it didn't end well for the rookie fifth-round pick, who was a standout in the preseason.

Thompson-Robinson completed 19 of his 36 passes for 121 yards and three interceptions, as the Ravens defense held the Browns to just a field goal while allowing just 166 total yards.

Oct 1, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) talk after the game at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Clowney, the former No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick, knows Watson well, seeing as the pair have played together on two occasions, with the Houston Texans for two seasons (2017-18) and most recently with the Browns (2021-22), which led to his suspicions of the news that Watson wouldn't play versus the Ravens due to the shoulder injury he suffered in the team's Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans. 

As Browns coach Kevin Stefanski would later reveal on Monday following the loss, Watson decided to sit out of Sunday's game despite being cleared by the team's doctors to play. 

“I mean, he knows his body," Stefanski said. "He’s played through serious pain before — very, very serious injuries. It wasn’t a matter of pain tolerance or anything. He just did not feel like he had his full faculties.”

The Ravens will be in action again on Sunday when they travel to Acrisure Stadium to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns will have their bye week ahead of their home game versus the San Francisco 49ers.