The Cleveland Browns are about to get a tune-up, the likes of which they haven’t seen in decades.
Three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson will make his regular season debut for the team on Sunday when it visits NRG Stadium to take on the Houston Texans.
It is sure to be an emotional scene, not only for Watson, but also for the fans in Houston who used to root for him, and it will be interesting to see their reaction when he takes the field.
Superstar running back Nick Chubb was asked about Watson’s return (he played in Cleveland’s first preseason game), and he talked about how he will help a 4-7 Browns team.
“We’re all excited,” said Chubb. “We’ve all waited for a long time for him to come back.”
Chubb also said that during practice, Watson has been putting the ball “exactly where it needs to go” while calling the signal-caller “special.”
While Watson won’t solve all of Cleveland’s problems – its defense has been its biggest bugaboo this season – he will make the team a lot more dynamic than it has been in memory.
Watson Can Make His Mark On Browns History
Ever since Bernie Kosar was released during the 1993 season after being benched by then-head coach Bill Belichick, the Browns have wandered through the wilderness looking for another franchise QB.
Their history is littered with numerous false prophets, starting with Kosar’s successor, Vinny Testaverde, and continuing to the franchise’s second iteration when Tim Couch, Johnny Manziel and Baker Mayfield failed to live up to expectations.
But now, Cleveland’s devoted fanbase will have a proven star quarterback who has already proven himself to be a game-changer, even if he has allegedly committed perverted sexual acts off the field.
Watson led the NFL in passing yards, yards per pass attempt and yards per completion during his last full season (he sat out all of 2021), and he is a certified deep ball threat who will get receivers the ball, even when there is a tight catch radius.
He may not be able to get the Browns to the playoffs this season, but there is plenty to be hopeful about moving forward.
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