By all accounts, the Deshaun Watson trade is among the worst we’ve ever seen in the NFL. And on Sunday, it managed to look ever worse for the Cleveland Browns.
Through three quarters, the Browns were absolutely getting dismantled at the hands of the Washington Commanders. The game wasn’t competitive, but at some point, every team still wants to put a couple good drives together and take some positives out of a bad game. So, when the Browns faced a fourth-and-goal situation down 21, it made sense for Kevin Stefanski to keep the offense on the field.
Watson, though, had different ideas.
Stefanski was disgusted at Deshaun Watson here.
The Browns were going to go for it on 4th-and-Goal, but instead take the delay of game and kick the Field Goal.
Watson simply has no command of the Offense right now. pic.twitter.com/czT0PJNW6D
— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 6, 2024
Watson walked off the field to head to the sidelines instead of staying out there for the fourth-down play. This forced the Browns to take a delay penalty and to settle for a field goal, making it 24-6. While neither Stefanski nor Watson have discussed why things unfolded the way they did, it may have been because Cleveland had too many players in the huddle and were headed toward a penalty either way.
So, this is what happened. Watson realized too many players on the field in the huddle. You will see Cooper counting them as well. Watson knew they were not burning a second timeout. He's frustrated. Kevin is too. Walks over to his assistant coaches to say something. Gross stuff… pic.twitter.com/pOSKJb6Mw4
— Jake Burns (@jake_burns18) October 6, 2024
Either way, it was another embarrassing Browns moment in a season already full of them.