Ravens at Browns: 'I'm Not Close'- Deshaun Watson Problems Continue

Given that their playoffs odds are calculated to be less than one percent ... Cleveland is bad. ... in part because Texans ex Deshaun Watson has been bad.

Deshaun Watson did not perform well at all in his debut with the Cleveland Browns two games ago, though he was the QB of record in a win over his old team, the Houston Texans.

Last week, the Browns dropped to 5-8 with a loss to the Bengals in a game in which he was only incrementally better.

Now comes a "Saturday Showdown'' afternoon game against the 9-4 Baltimore Ravens.

When is Cleveland going to get its money's worth?

“I’m not close,” Watson said this week, via 92.3 The Fan. “I want to be better. I’m nowhere near where I want to be and this team is nowhere near where we want to be.”

Watson, 27, who will make his first home start in this game, completed only 12-of-22 passes for 131 yards and an interception in a 27-14 win over the 1-11-1 Texans two weeks ago. 

The three-time Pro Bowler upped those numbers to 276 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 26-of-42 passing the next week in that loss to Cincinnati last weekend.

Obviously, the preseason blockbuster trade made by the Browns to acquire Watson came with a warning label; he didn't play at all in 2021 due to his legal troubles and his unhappiness in Houston, and those legal issues caused an NFL suspension of 11 games.

Also obvious: As it is with Houston, where the multiple picks gained in the trade will take time to blossom, this is a long-term play by Cleveland. Not only is his unprecedented contract guaranteed at $230 million, but the new deal is for five years. Still, Cleveland wasn't planning on being bad in 2022.

And given that their playoffs odds are calculated to be less than one percent ... Cleveland is bad. ... in part because Watson has been bad.

"It's only been two-and-a-half weeks of me and [head coach] Kevin [Stefanski] working together,'' Watson said optimistically. "So the sky's the limit.''

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