The Browns got back into the win column with a 27-0 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday.
They also got their quarterback on the field again, as Deshaun Watson played his first full game since injuring his right shoulder in Week 3. He finished 19-of-30 for 219 yards with two touchdowns. Those aren’t the most impressive numbers, but they didn’t have to be against an Arizona team that was listless on offense.
“This is what I’ve been preparing and training very hard to get back to,” Watson said in his postgame press conference. “Just to get out there and play free and be able to be very close to myself and just go out there and compete and have fun with my teammates, and that’s what today brought.”
Watson did add that he’s not feeling 100 percent, saying he’s just coming back from injury. But as he continues to make progress, he’ll hit more of the throws he missed.
The quarterback’s two best throws of the day went to receiver Amari Cooper. One was a 59-yard pass deep down the left sideline in the first quarter. The other was a 49-yard pass down the right side in the fourth.
“It wasn’t really a confidence boost. I already knew I can do that,” Watson said of the first-quarter strike. “So, like I said before, I’ve been preparing for the last six weeks to come out here and try to perform as best I can, and that’s how it was.
“I just stayed the course, blocked out the noise, and I know my body and I know the training staff and the medical protocols that we went through to get back to the stage.”
Watson has completed 62 percent of his passes this year for 902 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s also rushed for 105 yards with a TD.