It’s been a long week for Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. And it’s still not over.
Against the Buccaneers on Sunday, Watson could post his seventh straight loss as a starter. That would be the longest streak for any Browns quarterback since DeShone Kizer in 2017, when a 15-game losing streak cemented an 0-16 season. Which opened the door to drafting Baker Mayfield the following April.
Watson drew fresh criticism after the Week 1 34-10 loss to the Jaguars by claiming that the “media has this expectation that I’m supposed to throw [for] 400 yards and five touchdowns every week,” even though he hasn’t done that once since Week 5 of the 2019 season.
There are even more depressing statistics than that. As Anthony Lima of 92.3 The Fan observed on Friday morning, Bills quarterback Josh Allen has nine total touchdowns in five days. Watson has eight total touchdowns in 1,041 days.
And, yes, the Browns could have drafted Allen instead of Mayfield. But don’t feel too bad about that, Browns fans; the organization likely would have ruined and/or moved on from Allen by now, too.
After Sunday — barring a win and, perhaps, 400 yards and five touchdowns — the Browns will have to move on from Watson or risk a full-blown riot for the Week 3 home opener against Carolina.
Browns Clips
The Browns have released their final injury report for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers.
Cornerback Tyson Campbell has been listed as questionable for the game. Campbell was added to the injury report when he missed practice on Thursday because of an ankle injury, but he returned to practice on Friday and head coach Todd Monken said the team wants to see how he responds before making a decision about his game status.
Guard Teven Jenkins has been ruled out with a back injury for the second week in a row. Rookie Austin Barber started at right guard in last Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars and is set to start again this weekend.
No other Browns players will carry injury designations into Week 2.
Already thin at cornerback, the Browns are dealing with another injury at the position.
Tyson Campbell did not practice on Thursday with an ankle injury, according to Cleveland’s practice report. He was not listed with an injury on Wednesday.
Acquired from the Jaguars midway through last season, Campbell was on the field for 100 percent of Cleveland’s defensive snaps in the Week 1 loss to Jacksonville. He also played six special teams snaps.
The Browns lack depth at cornerback, which could be an issue for the club against Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Notably on the injury report, offensive tackle Dawand Jones (head) was upgraded from limited to full.
Offensive lineman Parker Brailsford (thumb), defensive tackle Maliek Collins (quad), and offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins (back) remained limited. Guard Teven Jenkins (back) remained out of practice. Receiver Jerry Jeudy (wrist) and guard Zion Johnson (knee) remained full.
Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan appears to be on track for his first appearance of the 2026 season.
McMillan did not play in the team’s loss to the Bengals last Sunday because of a knee injury, but he was listed as a full participant for the second straight day on Thursday. That bodes well for his chances of being in the lineup against Cleveland this weekend.
Safety Miles Killebrew (concussion) and cornerback Jacob Parrish (back) were both limited participants. Defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson had a rest day and did not participate.
Linebacker Christian Rozeboom (foot), offensive tackle Justin Skule (oblique), and running back Sean Tucker (hamstring) were full participants for the second time this week.
The Rams have made one of their expected roster moves official on Thursday.
Myles Garrett has been placed on injured reserve, Los Angeles announced.
It was reported on Sunday that Garrett would have knee surgery and be placed on IR after an ineffective performance to start the season in the loss to the 49ers.
Head coach Sean McVay said earlier this week that the team had believed that Garrett’s knee injury was something he could work through.
Now, Garrett is officially out for at least the next four weeks.
The Rams did not announce a corresponding move, leaving a roster spot open.
The Rams will host the Giants on Monday night.
The Browns are adding a player who’s plenty familiar with their (current) backup quarterback.
According to multiple reports, Cleveland is signing receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. to its practice squad.
Horn — a Panthers sixth-round pick in last year’s draft — had a rough Week 1, muffing a punt while trying to make a fair catch. He was waived earlier this week as the team added a linebacker.
Horn could help the Browns as a returner, as Dylan Sampson is expected to miss significant time with a knee injury suffered during the season-opening loss to the Jaguars.
Horn played with Shedeur Sanders at Colorado before both were drafted last year. With Deshaun Watson struggling through Cleveland’s season opener as QB1, Sanders could be elevated to a starting role sooner than later.
Eight years to the day after Baker Mayfield made his debut for the Browns, he’ll be facing the Browns in his fourth year as the starting quarterback of the Buccaneers.
Buccaneers senior offensive assistant/pass game specialist Ken Zampese was Mayfield’s position coach when he came off the bench to beat the Jets on September 20, 2018. And Zampese had some candid comments on Wednesday about how the Browns blew it with Baker.
“They had the guy,” Zampese said, via Jenna Laine of ESPN. “They had the guy and they gave him up.”
They gave him up once they decided to make a franchise-altering (in a bad way) trade for Deshaun Watson. Mayfield was later traded to the Panthers.
“The year we were there, we were one of the best offenses in the NFL the second half of that season, 5-3, in a place that was -- before that season started -- 1-31,” Zampese said regarding Mayfield. “The script got flipped and the city came alive because they finally drafted a quarterback that worked out for them and they mucked it up. They mucked it up.”
Zampese was reunited with Mayfield this year, continuing their relationship that went well in the one year when they worked together.
Mayfield, in his third season, led the Browns to a playoff appearance, a win over the Steelers in the wild-card round, and a near-miss against the Chiefs in the divisional round. After an injury-riddled 2021, the Browns made the decision to move on.
Does Zampese think the Browns believe they “mucked it up” with Mayfield?
“I don’t know,” Zampese said. “It doesn’t matter. We got the guy we wanted [in Tampa] and that’s what’s important.”
They’ll have him on Sunday against the Browns. And the Bucs will be hoping to get the win that eluded them in Cincinnati to start the season.
Browns head coach Todd Monken stuck with Deshaun Watson as the team’s starting quarterback for this week’s game against the Buccaneers, but some are already looking ahead to what he’ll do in Week 3.
That will be the Browns’ home opener and Watson’s last appearance in Cleveland came amid cascades of boos during a preseason game. During a press conference on Wednesday, Monken was asked if Watson is in a position where he has to play well enough to earn another start.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Monken said. “I always expect our players to play well. I wouldn’t put them out there if I didn’t. I expect him to play really well and there were moments on Sunday when he did.”
There were also moments when he didn’t, of course, and it won’t take too many more of those to guarantee a similar reaction to Watson taking the field in Cleveland to the same reaction he got this summer. Monken has shrugged off fan reaction to his decisions in the past, but there would seem to be a level Watson has to reach this Sunday in order for the Browns to continue trying to salvage something from his tenure with the team.
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has had Sunday’s game circled since the schedule release in the spring, as Tampa Bay will host Cleveland — the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2018.
The end of Mayfield’s time with the Browns was ugly, with the team eventually replacing him with Deshaun Watson after an injury-plagued 2021. But in 2020, Mayfield helped the club end a long postseason victory drought with a blowout win over the division-rival Steelers in the wild card round.
Asked how he remembers his time with Cleveland, Mayfield emphasized the positive.
“Yeah, I mean, with any experience, there’s ups and downs, good and bad. Ultimately, you remember the good more so than the bad,” Mayfield said. “Yeah, first time having a playoff win since ’94 there. And going on the road and doing it in Pittsburgh.
“So, a lot of good memories there. A lot of teammates that are friends for life. But like I said earlier, it’s a very different building now.”
Different coaching staff or not, Mayfield is known for playing with his emotions on his proverbial sleeve and a chip on his shoulder. To combat some of the potential ill effects of that, Mayfield said he’s focusing on making sure he gets the little things right this week, particularly after fumbling three times in the Week 1 loss to Cincinnati.
“Taking it one day at a time, making sure that you harp on little details,” Mayfield said. “That goes back to, obviously, not coming out on the right side of the game last week, of really focusing on the small details. And so, when you do that, good things will happen on Sundays.
“So, for me, focusing on that and then when the lights come on, you get out there and play, it’s time to go — let it loose.”
Deshaun Watson will start for the Browns again on Sunday when they play Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers.
Fortunately for Watson — who was vociferously booed by Cleveland fans during the preseason — the start will come on the road.
But Week 3 looms, which will be the Browns’ home opener against the Panthers.
Does Watson feel like he has to put up a solid performance this week to build up some goodwill with the fanbase?
“No, I think personally, I think all that is for the media,” Watson said in his Wednesday press conference. “I think the media has this expectation that I’m supposed to throw [for] 400 yards and five touchdowns every week. So, until that happens, I guess it’s going to be the same situation.
“Again, my job is to make sure I’m operating well so we can try to get a win and keep moving forward from there.”
And what did Watson see on film from the Week 1 loss to the Jaguars?
“Finding completions, operating well. That’s pretty much it,” Watson said of his performance. “Had one turnover, a couple — that one sack-fumble, have to protect the ball, but we recovered it. That’s pretty much it, for real. We just didn’t have opportunities in the red zone to get points. Only six incompletions — one of them was a pick, one of them was the end of the game, end of the half. Tipped ball. Two missed throws, and then a throwaway.”
It’s hard to know what Watson means by operating well, as the offense finished with multiple pre-snap penalties and had to resort to a timeout to avoid more.
It’s also worth noting that when it comes to expectations for Watson, they are quite low — whether it’s from the media or the fanbase. That’s part of why Cleveland’s fanbase is so frustrated, because the perception based on his performance over several years is that he gives the club little chance to win.
Watson has not yet thrown for even 300 yards since joining the Browns. It’s unlikely Week 2 will be the first time that happens.
