Cleveland Browns Morning News 10/24: The Day-to-Day Trudge and Impossible Decisions
The Browns are again “day-to-day” with Deshaun Watson, waiting for the answers to interminable and critical questions at the quarterback position. They probably need opinions from a Pepto-Bismol-swilling webdork about decisions he’s glad he doesn’t have to make.
Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans!
As much as many might want to pretend it didn’t happen, there was a game on September 24, 2023.
On that day, the Cleveland Browns squared off against the Tennessee Titans. The Browns, under the leadership of Deshaun Watson, clobbered the Titans 27-3. Watson passed 33 times, completing 27, compiling 289 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 123.4 passer rating.
Deshaun Watson, we all hoped, was back.
Also, during that game, Watson took a blow to his right (throwing) shoulder, which subsequently sidelined him for several weeks. After weeks of mystery and garbled communications, Watson started against the Indianapolis Colts and clearly wasn’t ready to return. He threw five passes, mostly very badly, was intercepted once, nearly intercepted again, and quickly exited after banging his head off the turf. He was replaced by P.J. Walker, who managed to once again do enough to prevent the offense from losing a game, this time via a dramatic penalty-assisted last-second touchdown.
With the Cleveland Browns defense looking championship caliber and Watson once again placed in the netherworld of being “day to day,” Browns fans can’t be faulted for looking for an answer, any answer, to the team’s wide-open questions at quarterback:
— Will the shoulder injury linger week after week, putting the team’s playoff hopes on the shoulders of below-average signal callers?
Was the Tennessee game a mirage? A fluke created by an off-day by the Titans’ defense?
— Should the Cleveland Browns make a grasp for anyone who can bring them average performance at quarterback? Jacoby Brissett? Marcus Mariota? Gulp. Ryan Tannehill?
There are no easy answers to these questions, and I can’t sit here and confidently tell you what the Browns will do. I’m not a doctor, and I can’t explain how long it will take a micro-tear on a rotator cuff to heal or explain if the issue has somehow gotten into Watson’s head.
As a writer, I can offer my opinion, and as an editor of a media outlet, I can support our team outlining the options that the team can decide between.