The week started like any other in Berea, perhaps on a higher note than usual as quarterback Deshaun Watson was coming off a strong performance over the Tennessee Titans.
CLEVELAND — The week started like any other in Berea, perhaps on a higher note than usual as quarterback Deshaun Watson was coming off a strong performance over the Tennessee Titans that helped put the Browns at 2-1 on the season.Watson had seemed to have the offense clicking after the first quarter of that Week 3 game—a positive sign after two weeks of some struggles on that side of the ball.
Those questions came right after the walk-through, which ended shortly after 11 a.m. After media availability, the players get ready for their day of practice and head out to the fields. Media joins them for a short window, the portion open for observation, which consists of some light warmups and individual drills. That's when things took a turn.
“I think it came, I’m not exactly sure, one of the runs that he had took a hit on the safety. But we’ll see today, see how he feels when we get out there, but we’re confident he’ll be able to go Sunday. We’ll see how he’s feeling today when we get out," Van Pelt said. Head coach Kevin Stefanski took some questions about what that might mean for Sunday's game. When asked if he expected Watson to play, he said,"I’m hopeful.” For a coach who doesn't give much away, that answer seemed to be a positive sign Watson would be fine for Sunday.
"I'm confident. Obviously, you want the team captain, team leader Deshaun—one of the best QBs in the game—to be out there competing with us. But obviously have all the trust in the world in Dorian," said wide receiver Cedric Tillman. Yes, Watson was questionable, so there was always a chance he wouldn't play. The team even elevated quarterback P.J. Walker from the practice squad to the active roster on Saturday. But there still didn't seem to be much concern about the unfavorable outcome. It truly felt that every sign pointed to Watson playing.
The defense opened the game strong, the way they looked through the first three games, but with the offense unable to generate anything—in the air or on the ground—they were on the field for longer than ideal. As the game went on, coverage slipped, tackles were missed, and Lamar Jackson was able to exploit the holes. Baltimore ran away with the game 28-3, with the Browns' lone score coming off a 53-yard field goal from Dustin Hopkins in the first quarter.
It's impossible to compare the two, but there were certainly questions, like how bad was Watson's shoulder that it sidelined him for this important divisional game? Is this something that will linger beyond one game? In the locker room, players were full of support for Thompson-Robinson. Joel Bitonio shared that support in what he told the rookie.
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