Todd Monken delivers bad news to Shedeur Sanders: "I'm happy for Deshaun, the way he's played"
After one of his best performances in Cleveland, Watson remains in control of the offense while the pressure around the quarterback position continues.
All Cleveland Browns fans were expecting a major change during NFL Week 3: seeing Shedeur Sanders take control of the offense once again. However, that scenario now appears unlikely after Deshaun Watson delivered one of his best performances since joining Cleveland.
Deshaun Watson remains Browns’ QB1 after his best recent performance
The former Clemson quarterback will continue to be a heavily criticized figure among a significant portion of the public, especially after facing more than 20 civil lawsuits involving allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct . However, in professional sports, one of the few ways a player can begin to change the narrative is through his performance on the field.
The challenge for Watson is that one strong performance does not erase all the questions surrounding his time in Cleveland, especially considering the massive investment the Browns made to acquire him. Still, after the 23-19 victory over the Buccaneers, head coach Todd Monken confirmed that the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback will remain in charge of the offense.
While admitting he is tired of answering questions about the quarterback competition, Monken praised Watson’s progress.
“Do I love dealing with it every week? Of course not. You guys keep asking, which is a lot of fun…. I’m happy for Deshaun, the way he’s played. And I expected improvement, and I expect continued improvement. There’s a lot of football left in him. He just hasn’t played in a while,” the head coach told the media on Monday, according to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot .
The coach also emphasized that Watson is still adapting to the offensive system.
“Learning our system and trying to get him consistent with his drops and his reads is part of the process. He’s like every player. I see him as a young player. I know people don’t want to see it that way, and I haven’t been here for most of the Watson era, but I see him as still a very young player that is going to continue to grow.”
The expectation in Cleveland is that Monken can help Watson rediscover a version of himself closer to the quarterback who starred with the Houston Texans from 2017 to 2020 . While reaching that level again appears to be a difficult challenge, Watson showed encouraging signs in Week 2.
Watson completed 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. His biggest moment came when he connected with undrafted tight end Blake Whiteheart for a 17-yard touchdown with 3:51 remaining, a play that helped seal Cleveland’s victory after a lengthy weather delay.
The Browns still have plenty of questions to answer, but with a respected offensive mind leading the team and young talent in the receiver room, the organization believes Watson can find consistency.
Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders will continue to have strong support from fans. If Watson fails to maintain this level of play in the upcoming home games against the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers , the pressure surrounding the quarterback position will quickly intensify again.
