The Cleveland Browns (1-3) suffered their second straight loss and third of the season on Sunday, falling 20-16 to the Las Vegas Raiders (2-2).
It’s not the start the Browns likely imagined as their first four opponents currently have a combined record of 5-11, but it’s the position they are in, nonetheless.
Cleveland must now find a way to turn its season around before it’s too late. Quarterback Deshaun Watson claims it starts with him.
“We’re not doing enough,” Watson said, via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. “So it starts with me. If I’m going to be the quarterback of this offense, we’ve all got to be all the way locked in, and right now we’re not doing enough to get the W. So you can put it on me for sure.”
Watson is right. Through four weeks, the Browns offense is averaging the second-fewest total yards per game (246.3) and seventh-fewest total points per game (16.5) in the league.
A big reason for the disappointing play by Cleveland’s offense is Watson.
He has thrown for just 727 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions to begin the year, never eclipsing 200 passing yards in a game.
That must change soon, or the Browns will be forced to look for someone else to lead their offense. The player that would likely get the first crack at the starting job is backup quarterback Jameis Winston, the No. 1 overall pick in 2015. However, that is a decision for another day is it looks like Cleveland is sticking with Watson for at least another week.
It makes sense, too, since the team traded a king’s ransom, which included three first-round picks, to acquire him in 2022 and then handed him a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract.
Watson knows that will only buy him so much time, though, and that that time is running out.
“We all just got to get on the same page so we can execute and try to win and be explosive,” Watson added. “That’s pretty much it.”
The Browns are hoping their offense can keep up in Week 5 when they go on the road to face the Washington Commanders (3-1), who are averaging the third-most points per game (30.3) in the NFL.
