Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will remain the starter this week, and coach Kevin Stefanski said he gave no consideration to benching him.
“I know you can take out plays and look at that and there’s obviously plays that Deshaun wants back,” Stefanski said, via Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan. “There’s calls that I want back. That happens in the course of a game. We just have to do our best from a coaching perspective, from a player’s perspective, to execute what’s out there.”
Watson ranks 27th in passer rating at 74.8, with only Jacoby Brissett, Will Levis and Bo Nix ranking worse. Cleveland ranks 32nd in yards per game, yards per play, passing net yards per play, sacks per pass play and third down efficiency, 30th in passing, 29th in first downs per game and 27th in rushing.
Critics, fans, media, sports talk radio — literally everyone outside the organization — is calling for Watson’s benching in favor of Jameis Winston.
“I don’t hear it,” Watson said Wednesday. “I don’t see it, so I’m not on Twitter. I’m not on any social media or things like that. So anytime that stuff comes up, the only time I first hear it is either you guys are bringing it up or somebody else outside [the building], and I just don’t know who it’s coming from.”
Watson, who threw for just 125 yards last week, has yet to throw for 200 yards in a game. He has five touchdowns and three interceptions.
“I feel like there’s been opportunities for us to be able to play winning football and hit the open guy,” Watson said. “Maybe there was one or two things that were kind of off track that didn’t capitalize and we didn’t capitalize on that. And then there’s been some times where as a quarterback and misreading some things or second guessing some things, but at the same time I think that’s part of just getting the reps and part of watching film and trying to find ways to get better each and every week.”
