Deshaun Watson asks Browns fans for support, but skips the question they wanted him to answer
He offered a promise to win, but little acknowledgment of why the relationship became strained
A reporter gave Deshaun Watson an opening to speak directly to Browns fans before Sunday’s home opener against the Carolina Panthers. The question was simple: was there anything he wanted to say to them?
Watson’s answer began with the tension between them. “I don’t ever try to go to war with the fans,” he said, before saying he was ready for their support and energy. He wanted to bring a win home to Cleveland and keep the good feeling from last week going.
Deshaun Watson has another chance to face Browns fans
That answer may frustrate supporters who hoped to hear him acknowledge their side of the story. In a preseason game against Buffalo, Cleveland fans booed Watson as he completed five of 12 passes for 36 yards and threw an interception. He initially called the reaction “disrespectful” and “personal,” then later said his emotions had gotten the best of him.
Asked about that episode on Wednesday, Watson said the team had moved past it. He spoke about looking forward, building on the energy in the locker room and focusing on Carolina. He did not use the opportunity to say that he understood why fans were frustrated. That is how his response came across, rather than proof of what he feels privately.
Watson also has a stronger performance to point to now. He threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns as Cleveland beat Tampa Bay 23-19 on Sunday, giving the Browns their first win of the season. A road victory can change the mood; facing the home crowd that booed him is a different test.
The fans do not have to forget the preseason because Watson says it is in the past. He will get his chance to speak to them again when the Browns take the field at Huntington Bank Field on September 27. This time, what he does against the Panthers may say more than another promise to win.
