The Browns’ sad and seedy Deshaun Watson era is nearing its predictable end point

Cleveland’s fan base came into Sunday’s Browns-Bengals showdown drenched in feelings. Some of them greeted their own quarterback, Deshaun Watson, with deafening boos as he ran onto the field. If there was any doubt about how much fans feel about Watson, the same crowd showered Nick Chubb with even higher decibel cheers when he returned from a lengthy injury layoff.

It appears that Watson himself will be on the sidelines for a long period of time: he went down in the second quarter with what ESPN reported as a torn Achilles tendon. His season is over. This may be the end of Watson’s career; quarterback play has declined and Achilles injuries often leave players a shadow of their former selves. When Watson was carted off the field in tears, feelings ran high in Cleveland. For some there was catharsis or a feeling that karma had been served. For others, there was legitimate grief. After all, despite Watson’s dismal performance as Cleveland’s man under center and the accusations against him as a man, you never want to see anyone get hurt. Although that may be the case in this case. Some Browns fans did: There were scattered cheers when Watson went down with an injury, a reaction that Cleveland cornerback Greg Newsome II later described as “nonsense.”

One feeling all Browns fans can agree on is regret. Deep regret. If Browns owner Jimmy Haslam giving Watson $230 million in guaranteed money in 2022 wasn’t already the worst contract in NFL history, Sunday’s Achilles injury made it official.

Haslam set the gold standard for non-bestowal. Not only by the enormous amount of guaranteed money, the most in NFL history, but by handing the franchise to a player who would almost certainly receive a lengthy ban due to the sexual misconduct allegations (the ban ultimately amounted to eleven games ). Haslam’s plan for Watson the player to make Watson the person palatable failed from the jump.

Watson’s debut didn’t come until Week 13 of the 2022 season. His performance that season was meh at best. He was nothing like the young Houston Texans quarterback, who was both efficient and explosive. The Browns went 3-3 in 2022 with Watson under center and finished 7-10, last in the AFC North. Every game he played that season – to incessant boos from stadiums across the US – was also a reminder of what many thought of Watson.

Watson’s second season was cut short by a shoulder injury. Everyman hero Joe Flacco stepped in and did an admirable job, but it was Cleveland’s elite defense that led them to a playoff berth.

Any glimmer of hope for the Browns that Watson would turn into even an above-average quarterback quickly evaporated this season. Under Watson, the Browns have a 1-6 record, including Sunday’s 21-14 loss to Cincinnati. He had yet to crack the top 200 passing yards in a game this season and was dead last in QBR among qualified quarterbacks. Moving on from him will also be expensive: He is guaranteed a $46 million season in the final two years of his contract. There are plenty of poorly managed franchises in the NFL: but none of them are stupid enough to take Watson and his huge contract out of the Browns’ hands.

So from a football perspective, Watson’s tumultuous time in Cleveland has been a failure. Add to that the fact that he is an alleged predator, with more than two dozen women accusing him of sexual misconduct, and the Browns’ mindset is unfathomable (Watson settled more than two dozen lawsuits involving his accusers out of court, but he was never criminally charged over the allegations). For many fans — including some in Cleveland — there is no passer rating Watson could achieve to erase the accusations surrounding him.

It will take some time for the Browns’ sad and seedy Watson era to be over, though some may not understand what that means. Jameis Winston, who hardly has a clean reputation himself, finished Sunday’s game as Cleveland’s quarterback. After the game he was asked about Watson. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve Deshaun, but I am very angry about the response to a man who has had the world against him for the past four years,” Winston said. Perhaps it’s worth Winston asking why the world was against Watson in the first place.

MVP of the week

Jared Goff, quarterback, Detroit Lions. Goff’s signature play in the Lions’ 31-29 win over the previously undefeated Minnesota Vikings was the stunning 35-yard touchdown strike to Amon-Ra St Brown in the closing minutes of the first half. The Lions quarterback diced Minnesota’s Cover 0, shook off the safety and evaded the pass rush. Not only was it a momentum changer, it also sent a reminder to Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Goff thrives when he is blitzed, unlike many of the other quarterbacks who have terrorized Flores’ defenses.

It wasn’t perfect, but Goff continued his hot streak Sunday. According to AP, Goff’s statistical line – 22 for 25 for 280 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers in his third straight game with a 140+ passer rating – means he joins Aaron Rodgers (2011), Kurt Warner (1999 ) and Roger Staubach (1999) added. 1971) as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to accomplish the feat.

Statistic of the week

176 meters. Saquon Barkley put an end to anyone still doing a double-take when he saw the running back in an Eagles jersey. After Philly got off to a slow start and again failed to score in the first quarter, the Barkley-led offense took off and destroyed the Giants 28-3. Barkley stuck it up for his former team, rushing for 176 yards on 17 carries and scoring a touchdown.

Barkley’s monster play was the second-most rushing yards for a back against his former team. Only then-Bengals Cedric Benson’s 189 yards against the Chicago Bears were better. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea for Giants fans to burn Barkley’s jersey outside MetLife Stadium, a ritual Barkley observed upon arrival. “At that point I was ready for third-and-1 – let’s just say that,” he said after the game.

Video of the week

There are two lenses through which to view this Patrick Mahomes run that led to a touchdown: a) Look at Mahomes’ vision and power, what a display for someone who ran a 4.80 on the combine; or b) Watch Mahomes walk down the sideline, knowing none of these guys are going to tackle him, since even sniffing him is an automatic penalty.

Anyway, the Super Bowl rematch wasn’t much of a contest. The Chiefs led the 49ers 28-18, and Brock Purdy was prone to interceptions throughout, including a terrible forced ball at third base and a goal with just over 4:00 to go. The Chiefs didn’t really dominate, as Mahomes threw two interceptions of his own. But KC was able to come up with enough creative solutions on both sides of the ball (particularly Steve Spagnuolo’s defense) to thwart the second-place finish in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs offense isn’t as explosive as in recent years, but at 6-0 they are figuring out how to win.

As for the Niners, there will certainly be questions about Purdy this week, some of which are valid. But the reality is that the 49ers are dealing with a host of debilitating injuries at 3-4, including a feared torn ACL for receiver Brandon Aiyuk. However, there was one notable addition for the 49ers on Sunday: Receiver Ricky Pearsall made his NFL debut 50 days after being shot in the chest. “I feel like I can play another game now,” Pearsall, who had three receptions for 21 yards, said with a smile.

Elsewhere in the competition

• The Washington Commanders had a scare when rookie sensation Jayden Daniels left early Sunday with a rib injury. Marcus Mariota filled in admirably to lead the Commanders to a 40-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Commanders (5-2) hold a narrow division lead over the Eagles (4-2) and face the Bears next week. Come on football gods, we need that showdown between Daniels and Caleb Williams.

• So…how did the firing of their head coach and trading Davante Adams to the New York Jets go? Not so good so far: They’ve lost both games since they started their midseason revolution. The latest came on Sunday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with Adams catching just three of the nine throws he faced for 30 yards in the tough 37-15 loss. The Jets have a lot of excellent players and have lost a few close games. But a 2-5 record is not a good prospect for a team that has gone all in to win. The Steelers are in a better spot at 5-2, and Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes and ran for another in his Pittsburgh debut.

• This is how you make a first impression:

Amari Cooper’s biggest fan might be Keon Coleman. Having a bona fide and threatening WR1 on the field helped Coleman have a monster day with seven targets, four receptions and 125 receiving yards in the Buffalo Bills’ 34-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

• Green Bay Packers-Houston Texans didn’t quite live up to the big billing hype, but it was a nail-biter. New Packers kick Brandon McManus hit a 45-yarder on the final play of the game to give Green Bay the dramatic 24-22 victory. Houston’s offense was pulseless throughout and the Texans were far too conservative in the final minutes of the game. They were only in it thanks to Green Bay’s equally lackluster offense and three turnovers, including two Jordan Love interceptions.

• All it took was a week in London for Jacksonville to finally get back on track. With 22 points in the second quarter, the Jags defeated the Patriots 32-16. Trevor Lawrence was in command and rookie wideout Brian Thomas Jr. continued his tear with 89 yards and a score. Granted, it wasn’t the most powerful opponent, but with the Jags at 2-5, Doug Pederson’s job is safe for another week.