The Cleveland Browns are 1-4 after getting blown out by the Washington Commanders on Sunday and it is clear now, more than ever, the team has a Deshaun Watson problem. Watson completed just over 50% of his passes in the loss, going 15-of-28 for all of 125 yards and one touchdown while getting sacked seven times. Things went sideways enough that Rob Gronkowski called for the team to consider benching the former Pro Bowler for Jameis Winston during the Fox Sports halftime show.
In fewer words, the quarterback situation is a disaster in Cleveland. Speaking on Monday morning's edition of Get Up, ESPN's Dan Orlovsky teed off on the Browns and explained why they are in "the worst position in pro sports" with Watson.
"The Cleveland Browns are in the worst situation in pro sports. They're done and so is Deshaun Watson. If you want to see a situation where the head coach has absolutely no say of who's playing on the field, it's happening in Cleveland. Kevin Stefanski is a two-time Coach of the Year. He is a brilliant offensive mind, and this offense looks nothing like the offense he won two-time Coach of the Year with.
"They're in an awful situation. And by every measure, if you just watch the game and then you look at the stats, their offensive performance and specifically Deshaun Watson's offensive performance is the worst in the NFL. They're done... They should have benched him Week 1."
Orlovsky went on to detail further how he feels the coaching staff is not in a position to make the changes needed to win football games.
"I don't think this is a head coach decision and I don't think this is a general manager decision," he said. "I truly believe this is from the owner. Because there's no way that you would have watched this football team over the last five weeks and say, 'That's our best opportunity.' This is why it's the worst situation in pro sports."
Dan Orlovsky: "The Cleveland Browns are in the worst situation in pro spots. They're done and so is Deshaun Watson. If you want to see a situation where the head coach has absolutely no say over who's playing on the field, it's happening in Cleveland." pic.twitter.com/d2usCpqLYT
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 7, 2024
It is hard to argue otherwise. Stefanski insisted after the loss on Sunday that a quarterback change was not in the books and it seems likely to remain that way for non-football reasons. As Orlovsky notes the Browns still owe Watson $150 million no matter what happens. Ownership is not going to sign off on benching the QB with that much money invested in him, and he has played so poorly there's no hope another team might be willing to take him off Cleveland's hands.
Which leaves the roster and Stefanski in a tough spot. Everybody involved has no choice but to keep banging their heads against this wall, hoping something will click with Watson and the on-field efforts become less embarrassing. The first five games of the 2024 season don't leave much hope for that level of improvement, though.
A strong case that the Browns, indeed, are in the worst spot in pro sports right now.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dan Orlovsky Explains Why Browns Are in 'Worst Position in Pro Sports' With Deshaun Watson.
