Active Deshaun Watson has most to prove in Week 7

Deshaun Watson (right shoulder), is active for the Browns, making him the player with the most to prove in Week 7.

Watson missed the past two games after suffering an injury against Tennessee. He had his best game since being traded to Cleveland against the Titans in Week 3, finishing 27-of-33 for 289 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-3 win.

His 81.8 percent completion percentage was the second-best of his career, second only to a 28-of-33 (84.9 percent) performance in a 53-32 win against the Falcons in 2019 as a member of the Texans.

If Watson builds on that performance, watch out for the Browns. With their defense, they are as dangerous as any team in football. Sprinkle in Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback play and Cleveland is a significant threat in the AFC.

Whether his performance is sustainable is the big question, however. In his first eight starts with the Browns, Watson was 137-of-239 (57.3 percent) for 1,491 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. Cleveland will be at home for the playoffs if that's the Watson it gets the rest of the season.

Per the Associated Press, Watson didn't appear limited in practice on Friday. Defensive end Myles Garrett agreed, saying, "He looked like Deshaun. Only he knows what he's dealing with mentally and physically at this point. I think he'll be able to overcome whatever hurdles that he's facing."

The Browns rank first in total defense (200.4 yards allowed per game), anchored by the league-best pass defense (121.4 yards allowed per game), and allow 15.4 points per game, which ranks fifth.

On the other side of the ball, Cleveland is 20th in total offense (319.8 yards per game) and 21st in scoring (19 points per game).

Watson gets a fairly easy matchup against the Colts in Week 7. Indianapolis is 23rd against the pass (243.7 yards per game) and 24th in scoring (25.3 points allowed per game).

With another strong performance, Watson will have Cleveland thinking big about its future. If he has another dud, the Browns will be left wondering how long until the best version of Watson shows up again.