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Deshaun Watson had historically bad Week 1 performance
Quarterback Deshaun Watson has had a brutal first two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. His third year on the team started off with more of the same on Sunday.
The former three-time Pro Bowler with the Houston Texans went just 24-45 for 169 passing yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for a 51.1 passer rating during the Browns 33-17 loss against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1.
Watson was historically ineffective on pass attempts that travelled at least 15 yards.
Deshaun Watson was 0-10 passing 15+ air yards on Sunday.
— Doug Clawson (@doug_clawson) September 9, 2024
It was the worst 0-fer on those throws by any QB in a game since 2006 when air yards were 1st tracked.
The former first-round pick made three straight Pro Bowls with the Texans from 2018-20 while missing just one game. Watson then missed the entire 2021 season and was traded to the Browns in March 2022 amid his sexual assault and sexual harassment scandal involving more than two dozen female massage therapists. Watson signed a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract with Cleveland (the largest in NFL history) as well.
The Clemson product served an 11-game suspension to start the 2022 season and has looked nothing like the former star he was in Houston since returning.
Watson played six contests in 2022 following the suspension and six games last year after battling multiple injuries before finally being shut down for the season in November.
The Browns have gone 8-5 in his 13 career starts with the franchise but have won largely thanks to their defense.
Watson has recorded a 59.1 completion percentage for 2,386 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a 78.1 passer rating with Cleveland.
The team made a surprise run to the playoffs last winter, buoyed by the stunning renaissance of quarterback Joe Flacco.
Both Flacco and defensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt departed in the offseason (to the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots), and stud running back Nick Chubb has opened the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
Watson still has five-time Pro Bowl wideout Amari Cooper and newcomer Jerry Jeudy (a former first-round pick) as offensive weapons, plus 2023 first-time Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku. The latter suffered an ankle injury in Week 1, however, and could be facing an extended absence.
Watson and company will look to get back on track in Week 2 when they travel to face the Jacksonville Jaguars.
More must-reads:
- Browns QB Deshaun Watson is the subject of another lawsuit
- Deshaun Watson questioned after latest ugly performance
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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Cowboys fans won't like Jerry Jones' update on Micah Parsons standoff
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Warriors' Big Man Target Could Pull Off Suprise Move Amid Passive Free Agency
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Giants force Jets' Justin Fields into familiar problem at joint practice
New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields was a little more accurate on Wednesday than he was in his "alarming" performance during joint practice with the New York Giants on Tuesday. Still, the fifth-year quarterback had a familiar issue pop up. Per Dan Duggan and Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic, Fields took several sacks against a Giants defense that brought the house on a shaky Jets offensive line. Via The Athletic: "On the other field, the Giants defensive front carried over its domination from Tuesday, giving Jets quarterback Justin Fields and his offensive line plenty of problems. Camp stats are subjective, especially when it comes to sacks, but the Giants appeared to get to Fields for four sacks. "Similar to Tuesday, there were moments when it was hard to tell exactly who was causing problems as the Giants sent multiple bodies in the backfield. Fields, who went 7-of-11 on the day, had a few overthrows on plays that likely were sacks." Fields did have a couple of long runs on a Giants defense that struggled against the rush in 2024. While Fields has a unique ability to add to the running game, the Jets need the 2021 first-round pick to push the ball down the field in the passing game. Fields has always had a problem with being indecisive in the pocket, leading to his taking too many sacks since entering the league. He led the league with 55 sacks in 2022 and has taken 151 in his four-year career. The Ohio State product took 16 sacks during his six starts with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. In camp, Fields doesn't have to worry about taking body blows from sacks that lead to injuries. That will happen in the regular season if he plays how he practiced on Wednesday.
Bruins' top prospect makes decision on college that will shake up the scene
Boston Bruins top prospect James Hagens has announced he will return to Boston College for his sophomore season. In a brief interview with Scott McLaughlin of Boston’s WEEI 93.7, Hagens shared that he’s in no rush to advance to the next step, acknowledging that development is a, “marathon, not a sprint.” Hagens revealed the news while participating at the Bruins’ 14th annual back-to-school celebration, alongside current Bruins Mason Lohrei and John Beecher. Few announcements will shake the college scene as much as the news of Hagens’ return. He was among the best freshmen in college last season, tracking to 37 points in 37 games. That scoring earned him a unanimous selection to Hockey East’s All-Rookie team — an accolade he shared with teammate Teddy Stiga and Boston University rival Cole Hutson. Hagens reached those heights while filling an interesting role with the Eagles, stepping in between wingers Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard after the two spent their last three years centered by San Jose Sharks prospect Will Smith. Each of Perreault, Leonard and Hagens scored fewer points than the Eagles’ top-line managed in 2023-24, but it seemed that was more the cause of a low-scoring year across Hockey East. The top unit recorded points on 36 percent of BC’s goals this season, an ever-so-slight improvement over the 34 percent contributed by Smith, Leonard and Perreault in 2024. But while Hagens faced questions of his scoring upside relative to other top draft-eligible talents in the NCAA, it was hard not to be impressed by his on-ice results. He’s long been a dynamo among his age group, with an innate ability to predict movement and put himself in position to make a play. Hagens is strong on the puck — with an ability to use finesse moves and bulky shoulders to force his way into the dangerous areas of the ice. More than that, he showed clear signs of improvement as the year went on — developing his physical presence and ability to make a difference even when he wasn’t the first man in on a play. Those signs of growth give Boston a prospect to be excited over. Hagens was lauded as the clear first overall talent in the 2025 draft class, prior to the beginning of the 2024-25 season. Much of that claim came from his command of the U.S. NTDP over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, where he served as the team’s top-line center and snappy playmaker next to electric goal-scorer Cole Eiserman. With Eiserman’s help, Hagens was able to become the fifth-highest scoring player in NTDP history, with 187 points in 118 games. He also set the scoring record at the World U17 Hockey Challenge in 2023, with 21 points in seven games, and the World U18 Championship in 2024, with 22 points in seven games. Hagens will be returning to a fresh-faced Boston College lineup next season. Both Leonard and Perreault signed their NHL entry-level contracts at the end of last season, leaving the Eagles with vacancies on both wings on their top-line. One of those spots will be occupied by Stiga, who has shown years of chemistry playing next to Hagens. The other spot will be closely contested, but could land in the hands of transfer forward Ryan Conmy or fellow Bruins draft pick William Moore. Hagens and Moore will be two of six Bruins prospects on next year’s Eagles squad, providing local fans with plenty of reasons to walk to Conte Forum when the puck drops.
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