Best and Worst Scenarios For Cleveland’s Passing Attack
Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports
As we hit the heart of training camp and teams prepare for their first preseason game, there is perhaps no more pressure on a player in the entire NFL than Cleveland Browns quarterback, Deshaun Watson.
It’s now been nearly two and a half years since the Browns traded seven picks (including three first-rounders) to bring in the guy who led the league in passing back in 2020. After not playing in all of 2021 and most of 2022 because of contract disputes and a lengthy suspension, most Cleveland fans feel like they got hosed on this trade so far.
The other man with a lot of pressure from this trade is Browns’ general manager, Andrew Berry. While some are frustrated at all the assets he gave up and the guaranteed contract for $230 million, some are still glad Cleveland finally shot their shot at a franchise quarterback.
For too long, the Browns have stockpiled talent in all positions but quarterback. And if we’ve learned anything about this league over the last two decades, it’s that it takes a high-end quarterback to win the big games.
The good news is, we saw the best of Watson right before his season ended. His Week 10 performance at the Baltimore Ravens, where he went 20-for-34 with a touchdown and a pick, led Cleveland to what was likely the Browns’ biggest win since coming back in 1999. The bad news is, the fans still haven’t seen a lick of consistency. There are a few different paths Watson and the passing game could take this season, but here are the best and worst-case scenarios for 2024.
The Best-Cast Scenario for Watson:
It’s easy to dwell on the worst-case scenario, so let’s start with the sunnier outlook. There’s plenty of opportunity for Watson to thrive in Cleveland and make 2024 one of the most memorable seasons ever.
The first thing we could see is flashes of the old Watson in Ken Dorsey’s offense, where Josh Allen thrived. This offense will allow Watson to move around in the pocket and allow him to push the ball down the field to all his offensive weapons including Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and David Njoku.
We saw in that Ravens game last year what could happen when Kevin Stefanski was willing to put Watson in the shotgun and let him run the offense. We must remember that there is a great chance that Nick Chubb isn’t ready for Week 1, and we’ve already seen D’Onta Foreman go down with what appears to be a serious injury in camp. That means the days of lining up and running the ball down someone’s throat are likely gone.
Yes, they still have Jerome Ford and Nyheim Hines, who are capable backs, but Cleveland will still probably need to throw more than ever. The additional pressure on Watson could be exactly what he needs to thrive. If the change-up of coaching at the offensive line and a full offseason of health has any impact, we could also see much-improved play from the line in 2024.
Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin should both be fully healthy, as well as Dawand Jones, who had a very impactful rookie season before a knee injury. The three-man competition at tackle could bring out the best in everyone, which would only benefit Watson.
The Worst-Case Scenario for Watson:
As full of potential as Watson is in 2024, there is absolutely a path where things get ugly quickly for him. There are a ton of different things that could go wrong, and any one of those things could see everything else start to snowball. Here’s a potential roadmap for exactly that:
First, this new offensive system could struggle to get off the ground. It’s already probably a mistake for Stefanski to call plays over Dorsey, so if they aren’t fully in sync by the start of the season, we could see turmoil start to build.
The next part of this snowball would be the offensive line. They weren’t healthy for much of last season, and if that continues, pass protection is a huge question mark heading into the season. If Watson is consistently being pushed out of the pocket it makes things very difficult.
The last cause for worry would be anything going wrong at wide receiver. We know Cooper is a fantastic No. 1 wideout, but we have yet to see Jeudy earn that large contract he got this offseason, and Elijah Moore has yet to prove he’s as good as everyone thought he would be coming out of the draft.
Being a pessimist isn’t fun, but with as much on the line as this team has, there’s potential for things to crumble quickly. If Watson struggles substantially for more than a few games, you could also see Jameis Winston get tapped on the shoulder to replace him. It would be a colossal mistake and result in a doomsday scenario, but with this much pressure on the team and Berry, you may see some rash decisions compared to years past.
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