Browns Claim To Have A Plan. Do They?

Change in the NFL can come quickly. Check out pretty much every season and a team that finished with a poor record the year prior will rise up and make the playoffs, while a playoff team a year before sinks to the basement.

Last season, it was the Washington Commanders going from 4-13 to 12-5 and ultimately the NFC Championship game, while the Browns went the other way, an 11-6 record in ’23 followed by the 3-14 disaster last season.

The year prior, the Houston Texans went from 3-13-1 to 10-7 while Minnesota went from 13-4 in 2022 to a 7-10 mark the next year.

Yes, many times, it’s about getting the quarterback as with Houston (C.J. Stroud) and Washington (Jayden Daniels) and while that’s true, neither of those teams got their QB with the first overall pick, and the other question is it sustainable.

Other times, you think you have the quarterback, and the fan base thinks they have the guy, but they are wrong. Look at the mess in Miami and Arizona. Both teams thought they had the guy, but it doesn’t appear they were correct.

Look at the Chargers. They drafted Justin Herbert in 2020, and he’s probably a top ten QB in the league, but they’ve gone 7-9, 9-8, 10-7, 5-12, and 11-6 with him under center, making the playoffs twice. So, it’s not just the QB.

We bring this up because our local team, the Cleveland Browns, come up with one excuse after another as to why they don’t/can’t win, despite teams taking big jumps up the standings every year.

First, the team seems to believe they can only win by getting a franchise quarterback, and while that has some merit, the notion you can only get that guy by tanking and having the league’s worst record is simply not true.

Yes, Joe Burrow was drafted first overall, but how many of the other top ten QBs in the sport were taken in that spot? Baker Mayfield and Jared Goff. So, the majority of the best QBs in the NFL were not taken first overall.

And if you do get a chance to take a quarterback early in the draft, wouldn’t you want to surround him with a solid offensive line and some other offensive weapons?

Let’s say the Browns identify a QB in next year’s draft as they will likely have a top ten pick. What are you bringing him into? Your offensive line is aging and not very good. You have no real good wide receivers.

Your best weapons on offense are two rookies, RB Quinshon Judkins and TE Harold Fannin Jr. That’s it. And knowing the franchise, they will feel the need to play the rookie QB before he is ready. Just like they have done with Dylan Gabriel.

For all the front office likes to plan for the future (free beer tomorrow!), the truth is they have set themselves up poorly if the plan is to get the QB with their multiple first round picks next spring.

Based on all the other stuff they have mucked up in the last six years, we guess that’s to be expected, right?

The bigger question we guess is do they think they are fooling fans with their non-sense? They are good at making excuses for not winning. It’s also what they have the most experience doing.

The Browns And Their QBs. Is This Group Capable Of Getting It Right?

It is hard to imagine a professional sports team screwing up something as badly as the Cleveland Browns have their quarterback situation.

It all started with the “tanking” of 2016-17, when the team famously went 1-31 over a two-year span, and they selected Myles Garrett with the first overall pick in 2016 draft.

The following season, after finishing 0-16, the Browns picked Baker Mayfield with the first pick in ’18 and the improvement started. Cleveland went 7-8-1 when Mayfield took over as a starter (6-7 with him starting) and he set a rookie record for touchdown passes in a season with 27.

Cleveland made a coaching change during the season shifting from Hue Jackson (2-5-1) to Gregg Williams (5-3) but decided to move on from Williams after the season. Mayfield had a good chemistry with Freddie Kitchens, who became offensive coordinator when Williams was elevated to head coach.

So, the front office made the ill-advised decision to make Kitchens the head coach, thus giving a second-year player a lot of power within the organization. That was a mistake.

Mayfield regressed in his second year, and so did the Browns, as they dropped to 6-10 and Kitchens was replaced by Kevin Stefanski, and the pairing got Cleveland to the playoffs and an 11-5 record.

The former first overall pick had his best year yet, with 26 TDs and just 8 interceptions. But the following season, one filled with Super Bowl hopes, he was injured during the second game of the year and tried to play through it. The result was a drop to 8-9 and reported clashing with Stefanski and others in the locker room, notably Garrett.

Was Mayfield brash and arrogant? Yes, but he was that when he was drafted. Were those traits exacerbated because you gave someone a head coaching job because he had a solid relationship with him? Probably. Could he have been guided by having some veteran leaders in the locker room? Who knows.

At this point, the Browns’ front office was distracted by the jingling of shiny keys. Deshaun Watson was available, and the Browns did everything in their power to bring him to town.

Remember that Watson ruled out coming to Cleveland, so the franchise guaranteed his contract (the other owners hated that), and traded a boatload of draft picks, including three first rounders, to bring him to town, knowing he would likely miss a bunch of games immediately for violating the league’s discipline rules.

Did we mention Watson also sat out the previous season?

With Watson healthy in ’23, the offense still sputtered, and Watson suffered a shoulder injury and missed the rest of the season. So, eventually the Browns signed Joe Flacco who got hot at the end of the year, got the team back to the post-season.

Certainly, getting Watson back with Flacco as his back up would be a great combination heading into ’24. Except the Browns didn’t do that. And not only did they not bring back the passer who took them to the playoffs, they also fired most of the primary offensive coaches, hiring some to put in a scheme better suited to Watson’s talents.

Now, after starting the 2025 season with four QBs, a mix of two veterans and two rookies (who thought drafting two quarterbacks was smart), you have just the two first year players at the helm in a season where the division has taken a downturn.

And it seems like the franchise is hell bent on taking a quarterback in the first round of next year’s draft. They are convinced themselves they have to have the first overall pick to get one, even though there is plenty of evidence you don’t have to take one there.

The point is this group has completely mangled the quarterback position. All of them. Jimmy Haslam, Paul DePodesta, Andrew Berry, and Stefanski.

Do you trust them to ever get it right?

Thoughts On Sanders And The Four QB Carousel

If it is August, fans in northeast Ohio are generally talking about who should be the quarterback of the Cleveland Browns in the first game of the season.

In last week’s first pre-season game, rookie Shedeur Sanders got the start and completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. It was a solid performance, but again we remind you although Carolina did play their starters in the first couple of series, Sanders got most of his work against backups.

On the other hand, he played with mostly reserves. Jerry Jeudy did not play and neither did the entire starting offensive line, including TE David Njoku.

Our comment on Sanders is simply this. He looked good and we want to see more. Hopefully, we will this weekend against the Eagles. But, he remains a solid NFL prospect and in no way shape or form should the Browns consider starting the rookie anytime before the halfway point of this upcoming season.

Unfortunately, he will likely not play this week due to an oblique injury. That doesn’t help his situation.

The Browns have tried to force rookies under center before they were ready before and how has that worked out? Remember, the only reason Baker Mayfield saw the field in the second game of the year in his rookie season was an injury to Tyrod Taylor.

Presumably, the Cleveland front office brought Joe Flacco in and traded for Kenny Pickett in order to start the season with a veteran at quarterback.

And that’s the correct and the smart move. We would assume if Pickett still cannot get on the field this weekend, then you have to figure Flacco will start against the Bengals on September 7th.

We advocated for that anyway, because he has the most gravitas in the locker room. There is no question the veteran leaders on the team, Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, Joel Bitonio, Njoku, will the 40-year-old signal caller gives them the best chance to win.

Dillon Gabriel also missed the first game with a hamstring issue, but seems ready to see the field this week, and if he can go, our guess is he will start.

And the Browns need to see what the other rookie can do as well. At the very least, they spent a third round draft choice on him and have to do their due diligence. You have to think there was a reason Cleveland picked him two rounds before they took Sanders.

The whole situation is exactly what the franchise signed up for when they drafted two rookie QBs in the last draft. That no one saw it was going to be difficult to get two rookies integrated in the offense and get a veteran ready to play when the regular season starts.

Perhaps that’s why Flacco was signed, because he has seen it all before and probably can be ready with minimal reps.

We still believe the Browns will find a way to keep all four quarterbacks on the regular season roster to start the year. They almost have too much invested in each one to make any other decision.

Unfortunately they didn’t have the foresight to see this coming last April.

Stop Thinking Losing Is Okay For The Browns

We should all get the pass the Cleveland Browns do from the people who cover them and from some fans as well. After last year’s 3-14 debacle, and it was a debacle from the moment they decided to fire coaches after a playoff season, there are a lot of people who are using the “T” word.

Yes, we are talking about tanking. Wouldn’t you love the expectation of anything you do be to just suck at it? Why do the Browns get that break?

First, it’s because the football fans in northeast Ohio have been brainwashed to think the only way an NFL team can win is to have a “franchise” quarterback.

While it is true that Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have kind of a monopoly on the league in recent years, teams can win other ways. Now, you do need to have a solid player behind center, but you also do not have to have the first pick in the draft to get an excellent QB.

We just mentioned Mahomes, who was not the first overall pick. He was selected 10th overall.

Let’s examine our personal top five QB list, which would consist of Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and since he quarterbacked last year’s Super Bowl winners, Jalen Hurts.

Only Burrow was taken with the first overall pick.

Oh, and didn’t the Browns just take a QB with the first overall pick in 2018? Perhaps it would have worked out for Cleveland if they didn’t mangle the situation so badly, including giving Baker Mayfield a ton of clout too early in his career.

But we digress.

We said a few times in the last couple of months that the only way Cleveland better have the first overall pick in the ’26 draft is if the Jaguars are really bad.

It’s time for the Browns to get rid of their “free beer tomorrow” mentality and be all about winning football games. We know Kevin Stefanski, the coaching staff, and the players are not going into contests being okay with losing, and for the front office, just because they made a monumental mistake with the Deshaun Watson trade, shouldn’t mean they get a pass either.

We should start demanding this football team starts winning games. That’s why we dismiss talk of starting Kenny Pickett in week one vs. Cincinnati and/or getting Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel in there quickly.

Unless Joe Flacco aged so much in the last couple of years and is now not capable of winning games in the NFL, he should be the starting QB in the first game of the season. He gives you the best chance to win.

And for the front office, they should be thinking of the same, not looking at the veteran as a possible end of camp trade piece.

There could be a time for that. Let’s say Flacco is putting up numbers and the Browns are sitting at 2-6 at the trade deadline. Then, if you can get something for him, why not make the move and see what you have in the other three passers.

You don’t build a winning culture by thinking losing is acceptable for any reason. If the Browns want to have that, it starts with not accepting defeat. Play the best players. No other agendas as long as you have a chance.

A Big Night For Browns And The Thought Partners

The biggest question following tonight’s NFL Draft should be what will sports talk radio and all of the podcasts which discuss the Cleveland Browns talk about after this weekend?

Yes, we are sure if the Browns don’t move up tonight using the 33rd overall selection, there will be ad nauseum discussion tomorrow and who they should take or who should they trade for with that pick, but we are really talking about Monday. What do they fill airtime with?

This could be and probably should be a pivotal moment for both the franchise and the front office. This regime started with a bang, going 11-5 in Kevin Stefanski’s first year and with what looked like a solution to their quarterback issues in second year pro Baker Mayfield.

That was followed by an 8-9 season in which Mayfield play hurt and the organization either soured on him or got distracted by a shiny object in Deshaun Watson.

Owner Jimmy Haslam called what happened in the off-season following that year “a big swing and miss”. They traded the future of the franchise, one that was showing signs of finally having “good bones” for Watson. The price was three first-round draft picks, among other things.

That limited how the front office could continue to add talent and patch up holes to a pretty talented roster for three years.

Somehow, the Browns made the playoffs in Watson’s second season, although it was without help from the player who they ruined their future for. That team made the post-season with an incredible defense and a late season offensive surge led by free agent signee Joe Flacco.

The Browns let him go after he played very well for them. Can you say, “self-sabotage”?

It wasn’t the only weird move by the front office after a pretty good season. They fired several offensive coaches, including coordinator Scott Van Pelt. It seemed the goal of the front office was no longer winning; it was making the Watson decision look like a good one.

That should never be the goal.

So, this front office needs a good weekend. We don’t want to go back to change general managers and/or head coaches every year days. We felt at times during those days that maybe things could have clicked if change wasn’t a constant.

Perhaps Mike Pettine could have done better without front office interference or Eric Mangini could have been a better coach if he were not also a terrible GM.

But now, it doesn’t seem like anyone is accountable. And they should be. The Browns’ front office mangled a five-year period if which they had solid talent. They came out of it with two playoff appearances and one post-season win.

This group has a chance to restock the cupboards and put the team back on a winning track. And that needs to start next season. Haslam, Paul DePodesta, Andrew Berry, and Kevin Stefanski made this bed.

They need to have success in 2025, and by that we mean, be in contention for a playoff spot after they’ve played ten games. It’s not a huge ask, right?

That path starts tonight. Don’t overthink it, don’t look at three to four years from now.

As Al Davis used to say, “Just win, baby”!

Even If No QB At #2, Browns Need To Win In ’25

Well, does Joe Flacco being signed by the Cleveland Browns mean the team won’t be drafting a quarterback with the second overall pick? We believe none of the pundits out there know what Andrew Berry is going to do, but it would not be a shock if they deferred on a QB until later in the selection process.

Whether they find the answer or not, there is one thing we don’t want to hear from the organization heading into the season. And that is we are looking towards next season.

For many years, prior to drafting Baker Mayfield and hiring the current regime, the mantra from the Browns has been like the sign in the bar–“Free beer tomorrow”. Meaning we’ll be good next year.

Enough.

Don’t have a quarterback, fans shouldn’t care. And improvement to let’s say 5-12 or 6-11 shouldn’t be tolerated either. We think many people, both fans and media alike forget the Browns made the playoffs in 2023 with an 11-6 record. That’s just one season before last.

Whether or not it is Flacco or Kenny Pickett or someone they draft this year, Browns’ fans should demand nothing less than a playoff contender.

As for the organization, we have already laid out that most NFL teams have quarterbacks drafted in the first round. Could Cleveland be lucky and find Brock Purdy or Jalen Hurts or perhaps a Russell Wilson later in the draft and have that passer emerge to lead the franchise out of the doldrums?

Sure. And today we could buy a winning lottery ticket.

To us, thinking you are going to find your next long-term starter in rounds #2 or #3 smacks of something the team has been accused of for many years. Thinking they are smarter than everyone else. Sometimes everyone is doing something for a reason, and that reason is generally success.

And if they decide to start the season with Flacco and Pickett backing him up, then devise a system that can win with them behind center. Coach Kevin Stefanski demonstrated he can win and win a lot with Flacco running the offense. They will need a solid running game, so they can operate the play action passing attack the coach prefers.

It’s up to Jim Schwartz to get the defense back to the level it played at in 2023, and it will be helped by not having a QB that turns the football over on a regular basis. By the way, that’s not a rap on Jameis Winston, whom we wanted the team to bring back.

Winston only started less than half the team’s games and Cleveland still led the league in turnovers in 2024.

Since the Browns don’t want to let everyone know who pushed for the Deshaun Watson move, we feel no more excuses should be accepted. Yes, we get this is an expansion team, but it should not take this long for extended success.

Berry, Stefanski, Paul De Podesta, and the Haslam family should know their fan base is tired of watching mostly terrible football over the last 35 years.

The message should be clear. Be better.

Another Loss And A New QB For Browns

The Cleveland Browns’ season just keeps going downhill faster and faster. Last Sunday’s loss started with the Bengals taking the opening kickoff back for a touchdown, and although the defense played pretty well, the Browns fell to 1-6 with a 21-14 loss to Cincinnati.

The other significant event in the game was QB Deshaun Watson apparently tearing his achilles tendon on a non-contact injury in the second quarter thus ending his season. Watson has now been with Cleveland three years and has yet to play in more than seven games in a season.

Inexplicably, that did not give veteran Jameis Winston a shot at playing QB. Winston was demoted to the #3 quarterback, available only if the first two passers were injured. Dorian Thompson-Robinson was designated as the backup and was lackluster at best, completing 11 of 24 throws for a paltry 82 yards.

After the game, we saw a number of media people touting Thompson-Robinson (DTR) as the starter next week, with the opinion that the Browns need to see what they have in him.

We don’t get it. First, he was a fifth-round draft pick, so he was far from highly regarded coming into the NFL. Second, what has he shown when he has been on the field to make anyone think he can be a viable NFL quarterback?

We know he didn’t prepare as a starter last week, but when he comes into the game, he looks like a gimmicky, run first QB. He’s doesn’t seem real accurate, and so far, six of his 136 NFL throws have been picked off.

As a comparison, Watson has had three interceptions in 216 passes this season.

Wouldn’t it be better to see if Winston can have a comeback to his career like Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff, or Sam Darnold? And if the losing continues, they can always play DTR in the last couple of games.

Look, more than likely, the Browns are going to draft a QB with their first round pick next spring. Perhaps Winston can be your bridge quarterback to open next season if Watson isn’t ready or another move is made with him.

Anyway, back to the game. There were more mistakes. Motion penalties, illegal shifts, lining up offsides. We know the coaches don’t coach this, but there has to be consequences to habitual offenders. Perhaps the loss of some playing time would allow the message for these players to soak in.

The Browns couldn’t run the ball either, gaining just 77 yards on the ground with 44 of those yards on runs by Thompson-Robinson. The only good thing was seeing Nick Chubb back on the field, getting 22 yards on 11 carries. His longest run was five yards, but still it was great to see him back on the field after his terrible knee injury last year.

The defense played well mostly, although one of the Bengals’ touchdowns was a pass to Ja’Marr Chase with big play magnet Greg Newsome II in coverage. The defensive back just can’t avoid giving up a big play pretty much every week.

We would guess more players who were brought in for this season, veterans on one-year deals will be (and should be if possible) moved for draft picks before the trade deadline. We have no problem with that.

However, we don’t want to hear the word tanking. It breeds a losing environment that is tough to get rid of. Browns fans more than anyone else should understand that.

What needs to be done is getting a victory and getting back to the philosophy that worked for the most part over the last four seasons.

It won’t be easy for sure

Regarding The Browns’ Offense…

In the off-season, the Cleveland Browns replaced offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt with Ken Dorsey, and the reason given for the move was Dorsey was more familiar working with dual threat quarterback, having worked with Josh Allen in Buffalo and Cam Newton in Carolina.

It was part of the Browns’ quest to “unlock” Deshaun Watson and have him return to the guy who had passer ratings over 100 in Houston from 2017 to 2020.

Since he joined the Browns, Watson’s highest rating was the 84.3 he achieved last season, in which he played just six games. This year, after two contests, his rating is just 63.0.

Kevin Stefanski and Van Pelt ran a good offense as well. In terms of yardage, the Vikings’ offense in Stefanski’s year as offensive coordinator ranked 16th in yards gained, and with the Browns, the attack was solid, with ranks ranging from 14th to 16th.

Dorsey’s offenses in Buffalo were 2nd and 4th in his two years as OC, but remember, he was let go last season during the year.

Both like to run the football. Stefanski had Dalvin Cook in Minnesota and then Nick Chubb in Cleveland, and until 2023, those teams were in the top ten in the league in running the ball.

So were Dorsey’s attacks in his two years in Buffalo.

The biggest difference we think is who does the running in each offense. Dorsey had quarterbacks who ran for over 700 yards three times in the ten seasons he has been quarterback coach or offensive coordinator. The QBs ran for more than 500 yards in two more years.

Watson ran for more than 400 yards in three of his four seasons in Houston. But he is really the first dual threat passer that Stefanski has handled.

The quarterbacks Stefanski had in Minnesota and Cleveland have all done well. Here are their passer ratings (although that stat just measures passing efficiency):

2017 Minnesota QB coach: Case Keenum 98.3
2018 Minnesota QB coach: Kirk Cousins 99.7
2019 Minnesota offensive coordinator: Cousins 107.4
2020 Browns Head Coach: Baker Mayfield 95.9
2021 Browns Head Coach: Mayfield (83.1), Keenum (91.3)
2022 Browns Head Coach: Jacoby Brissett (88.9), Watson (79.1)
2023 Browns Head Coach: Joe Flacco (90.2), Watson (84.3)

For Cousins, the ’19 season was his best as a pro, as was the case for Mayfield’s 2020 campaign, Brissett’s ’22 year, and for Keenum as well in ’17. For Flacco, it was his best season since 2014 with the Ravens.

Only Watson hasn’t thrived under Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski likes to work in a lot of play action, and Watson’s best (and longest) completion on Sunday was off a fake and resulted in a 30-yard pass to Jerry Jeudy.

Perhaps that’s what the basis of the offense should be right now. By all measures, the vertical passing game is disappearing in the NFL as defenses have adjusted.

We also think the coaching staff and front office would like Watson to cut down on running the ball himself unless absolutely necessary. Heck, in QB sneak situations, Cleveland put Jameis Winston in to take the snaps.

The point is this–Charles Barkley once said, “if it’s not broke, don’t break it”. Maybe that’s what the Cleveland Browns did with their offense. It’s something to keep an eye on week to week.

Maybe Watson Can Learn From Flacco

The Cleveland Browns had a very successful season in 2023, making the playoffs with an 11-6 record. Still, much like this season, most of the hope for another playoff berth in 2024 depends on QB Deshaun Watson.

You may ask why that is still the case because Watson only played in five games this past year and the Browns still won 11 times? It’s because the model of starting five different quarterbacks and still getting a post-season spot is not sustainable.

GM Andrew Berry talked about a 10-year commitment when the deal for Watson was made, and he has to look at it that way because the first two seasons have seen the former Texan start just 12 of 34 games, and really, he has only shown brief glimpses of the player he was in Houston.

Certainly, good health is needed for the trade to play out in the Browns’ favor, but we would also like to see Watson put his trust in Kevin Stefanski and the way his offense works.

Since Stefanski took over as head coach and installed his offense, he has coaxed solid QB play out of most of the players who have called signals for Cleveland.

In 2020, Baker Mayfield posted a 95.9 passer rating for the Browns, his career high (he was at 94.6 this season in Tampa). He completed 62.8% of his throws with 26 touchdowns and just 8 interceptions.

It’s easy to dismiss that success because of the injury plagued year in 2021, but Mayfield was off to a good start in ’21, with 8 TDs and just three picks in his first eight starts.

The deal for Watson was made after this season, but Jacoby Brissett was the primary starter in 2022 because of Watson’s suspension. Brissett had the highest passer rating of his career (88.9) with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions with the Browns, completing a career high 64% of his passes.

In 2023, Stefanski coaxed solid enough play out of P.J. Walker, rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and revived Joe Flacco’s career. The latter had the third best passer rating of his career in any season he played more than four games. Statistically, it was his best season since 2014.

FYI, Kirk Cousins’ best statistical season? 2019, when his offensive coordinator was Kevin Stefanski.

The point is, Stefanski’s “system” is QB-friendly. It seems the only Cleveland passer who hasn’t taken advantage of it is Deshaun Watson.

Recently, Watson said he didn’t like the scripted plays that Stefanski starts the game with. We found that curious, and a sign about his coachability.

We get it, when you are a gifted athlete, it is easy to become engrained that the way you have always done things is the best way. But great players are open to change, and maybe Watson needs to allow himself to play like Stefanski wants his QBs to play.

That might be the best reason to bring Flacco back.

Stefanski loves play action, and Flacco demonstrated that sometimes it’s okay to turn your back on the defense to sell the fake. Watson prefers to play out of the shotgun. Maybe, there is a happy medium.

Watson has been very successful as a “dual threat” quarterback, but next season he will be 29 years old, and maybe he needs to not play with his legs as much in order to stay on the field. We understand this injury was a little fluky, but maybe it’s time to play a little more conservatively when it comes to running.

It has been shown that Kevin Stefanski can enhance a quarterback’s productivity. The 2024 season would be a good time for Deshaun Watson to embrace that and have his best statistical season.

A second straight playoff berth will probably be the result.

Browns Still Have Faith In Watson. Without A Doubt.

Even though the Cleveland Browns had a pretty good free agent signing period, most pundits still don’t seem to think that highly of Kevin Stefanski’s squad, thinking they are still not a playoff team.

Most of that comes from the lack of faith in QB Deshaun Watson, who didn’t exactly light up the league when he returned from suspension for the last six games of the 2022 season.

After all, Cleveland went just 3-3 in the games Watson piloted the team, and his best passer rating in the half dozen starts was in the win over the Commanders, and he was only 9 for 18 in that game, but threw three touchdown passes with no interceptions.

The football press seems to have lost confidence in Watson, despite his last complete season in which he threw for a league-leading 4823 yards, and had 33 TD tosses and just seven picks. The Texans went 4-12 that year, allowing the sixth most points in the NFL.

Some folks in the local media have extrapolated that lack of faith from the national media and attribute it to the Browns’ front office, after all, what did Watson do in those last six games to make anyone think he can lead Cleveland to the postseason in 2023?

Don’t buy into that.

First, when the Browns decided to move off of Baker Mayfield following the 2021 campaign and go after Watson, they didn’t do it based on a whim or irritation that Mayfield had problems with some teammates and perhaps didn’t see eye to eye with Stefanski.

They did it because one of the league’s best quarterbacks, which Watson was at the time, was available and the Browns’ thinkers saw it as an opportunity to get a great QB in his prime, after all Watson will be just 28 years old when the season begins.

Really, what do you think is more indicative of Watson’s abilities, the three year period from 2018-20, when he led the Texans to two playoff appearances, including a wild card win over Buffalo, and followed that up with his individual excellence in ’21, or the last six games of last year, following a year and a half layoff?

The Browns’ front office, GM Andrew Berry, Paul DePodesta, and Stefanski did their due diligence, studied Watson’s time in Houston and we are sure it was discussed that it might be a long, long time before a QB as good as Watson, and in their prime would come available.

So, they went all in.

The Browns get charged with being dysfunctional all the time, particularly when they lose a game, but to us, being dysfunctional involves making knee-jerk decisions based on emotion. Losing faith in Watson after those half-dozen games at the end of last season would fit that profile.

They know what they traded for and they saw Watson in practice, meaning they’ve seen him more than anyone else. We are sure they still think they made the correct decision on giving up a lot of future assets for a player they believe can solve their quarterback problem for years to come.

And let’s face it, if they are wrong about the former Clemson quarterback, they made a colossal mistake, one that will take them years to recover from.

When you make a move like this, there is no going back, and that’s why the Browns went hard in free agency. They know the time to win is right now. We are sure they are confident that Deshaun Watson is the man to take them to the Super Bowl.

Losing faith on this would be a sign this leadership group is doomed.