The Cleveland Browns endured another dreadful offensive performance on Sunday in losing their third straight game, a 34-13 bludgeoning at the hands of the Washington Commanders.
But head coach Kevin Stefanski isn’t yet entertaining the notion of a quarterback switch.
“We’re not changing quarterbacks,” Stefanski said following the loss. “We need to play better. I need to coach better.”
The Browns (1-4) gained just 212 yards in failing to break 20 points for the fifth time in as many games.
Starting quarterback Deshaun Watson was sacked seven times, lost a fumble and managed just 125 yards through the air, throwing one garbage-time touchdown with his team trailing 34-6. Backup Jameis Winston came in briefly and completed his only pass for 16 yards.
Watson’s 74.8 passer rating this season is among the worst marks in the league, while the Browns as a team have failed to reach 300 total yards in any game this season.
“The offense is going to go as far as I go,” Watson said. “So, at the end of the day, we’re not doing enough offensively.”
During Watson’s time with the Houston Texas, he faced 24 claims of sexual misconduct from women, stemming from massage sessions. All but one of the cases were settled out of court, with the last one still pending. The NFL suspended him for the first 11 games of the 2022 season and fined him $5 million.
Watson was the recipient of new allegations last month, but hasn’t faced any disciplinary action as a result.
In 2022, he signed an NFL-record $230 million fully guaranteed deal with the Browns after the franchise traded for the troubled quarterback, with Cleveland restructuring that deal this offseason. Watson, 29, now has cap hits of $72.9 million in the 2025 and 2026 seasons, with $172 million and $99 million in dead cap hits in those years.
Next week, the Browns have a road trip to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles.
