Uncomfortable Smiles From Browns Front Office With Win

 

Last week the Browns organization laid down the path to finally cut Watson loose in light of his terrible looking game versus Jacksonville.  Reliable corporate lapdog Mark Kay Cabot four days ago speculated on if Watson was feeling the heat after a terrible first game but still maintaining the Browns public face of Watson was "the guy" and locked in as starter.  Then, just two days later, Cabot made a remarkable 180 turn and authoritatively wrote about this being Watson's last game with the Browns.  What happened between Tuesday and Thursday?  Well, I'd expect that, as usual, the Dee Haslam led camp in the building decided to start to lay the ground work for getting Watson off the active roster sending over talking points to Cabot.  The Browns front office, confident that this story would break nationally, felt like this would create a new reality where the Browns were prudently looking forward.  This is sort of the "This was always our plan!" revisionist history.  I don't know if Cabot thinks that parroting back the Corporate Messaging of the Browns is "journalism", but it will guarantee her cozy spots on team road trips, VIP dinners, and happy interactions with Dee and the Fam.  Everybody was a winner.

Well, until Watson went out and played just well enough to toss that narrative in the shit heap.

In my opinion, the best part about following the Browns is to watch the front office consistently bungling all of their major decisions and processes.  The games are almost secondary confirmations to the questionable decisions made weeks before.  There are people that focus in on play calls and individual player efforts, but I don't know enough to be able to point out anything but the obvious on missed throws, great catches, etc.  This "Watson Is Dead To Us" PR campaign is right in my wheelhouse however.  Before the game I joked with a couple of people about how the Doomsday Scenario would be if Watson went out and threw for about 250 yards, couple TDs, no picks and looked like an NFL QB.  If that happened, there is NO WAY the team could cut him loose setting up the very exciting drama of a Watson home start against a 2025 Playoff team (though admittedly sorta shitty) Panthers.  Then, in what can only be called a Brownsy turn of events, they win while Watson goes 24/30 for 238 yards and two TDs.  See ya on Sunday Deshaun!  

Let's be honest.  Watson played pretty well.  He doesn't seem to be the "win because of" QB the Browns envisioned when they destroyed the future to get him, but he played like a "win with" quarterback.  As sad as that sounds, the Browns haven't seen even that mediocre level of play since Flacco Part 1.  So the Browns Corporate Brain Trust has now set up a scenario where they are having to play a guy that they clearly want no part of who simultaneously must be the best option for the head coach on what will be his only NFL head coaching chance.  This entire set up is so on brand as being "Browns" I absolutely fucking love the dysfunction of it all.  

Watson came into this game as a guy who got put on a PIP.  We have all seen someone in a work scenario that management wants to get rid of but needs to get rid of "the right way".  I always loved when you'd see a salesperson get put on some sort of PIP plan where the normal sales quota was selling 10 widgets a month and then they'd give that person a monthly sales quota of 25 widgets with a straight face.  "We want you to succeed, so let us know what you need to hit this number.  On an unrelated note, we are going to have Nancy hang pictures of her kids in your office now just so she can see what they look like in case we need to make a move.  We are all behind you.  Close the door on your way out."  Then, this fucking Watson guy goes out and makes that 25 widget sale and the company's plan to shove him out the door just went out the fucking window.  What are you going to do now Browns?  Watson not only won on the road in an efficient manner but beat Mayfield head-to-head while doing so.  Make sure and stop by the Browns team shop to pick up your #4 jersey!  

That win yesterday was a great win for the players on the team.  I'm not sure if this turns out to be one of those weird "anything can happen in the NFL" wins that stands out for being an outlier like how the Raiders beat New England in Week 2 last year, or is evidence of the Browns hovering as a different version of the Jets.  There are obviously some legitimate NFL football players on this team, but plenty of players you will never remember come February when they are cut loose.  I still think the under is very much in play for this team, especially when the front office fucks the whole quarterback situation up by making things murky and unpredictable for everyone responsible for trying to win games on the field.  I'm sure you, just like me, was thinking there was no way that the Browns wouldn't give up a losing TD to the Bucs after that never ending rain delay.  As far as rain delay outcomes are concerned, I would have preferred a Game 7 win over the Cubs, but I guess all we get is a Week 2 win over Tampa.  

I saw this morning that Mary Kay, ever the intrepid reporter, noted the following:  "With his strong outing Sunday, he made it virtually impossible for Monken to bench him for next week’s home opener against the Panthers and install Shedeur Sanders as the starter, which was basically in the cards if Watson had struggled again."  Ummm gee... you think?  It will be interesting to see if the Browns send Mary Kay an email with new talking points of "All those reports of cutting Watson loose were unsubstantiated crazy talk!  We never said shit." or more along the lines of "That never happened.  Can't wait to mix it up with the Panthers!".  Looking at the situation realistically, Watson still can't get the ball reliably downfield and struggles on sideline throws.  If not for a couple of broken/missed tackle long gains, his stat sheet would have looked less impressive.  Yet, you have to hand it to the guy.  He played pretty well and now the Browns will trot him out for a nice mixed emotions home opener.

The real question that no one will ask is if the Browns were so willing to throw Watson to the curb after Week 1, what was the point of starting him Week 2?  Also, exactly what were they so stunned by after one Jacksonville start that they hadn't seen in the previous three years or all of training camp.  The fact that they were that quick to the trigger on what was their largest organizational decision for the 2026 season only again demonstrates that there is no aligned thinking in that building as to how to build a winner.  It is reported that there are "a lot of voices" in the Browns front office building, and I think we can agree that most of those voices don't know a goddamn thing.  But for now, the team is 1-1, the dream is still alive, and Deshaun Watson is somehow starting the home opener.

Go Browns.