Watson Goes 5-of-12 for 36 Yards, Blasts Browns Fans as Sanders Strengthens QB1 Case
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 23
Watson Goes 5-of-12 for 36 Yards, Blasts Browns Fans as Sanders Strengthens QB1 Case
3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 23
Summary
5-of-12 passing for 36 yards and an interception deepened Deshaun Watson’s rough preseason, with Cleveland going three-and-out on his first two drives against Buffalo.
Watson then called the home crowd’s boos “disrespectful” and personal, saying fans had also cheered when he tore his Achilles in his last game at Huntington Bank Field.
Shedeur Sanders strengthened the contrast by completing 9 of 11 passes for 74 yards and Cleveland’s only touchdown, reinforcing pressure on the Browns to elevate him.
$230 million in guaranteed money still clouds that decision, with Cleveland facing an $86.2 million dead-cap hit if it cuts Watson before next season.
The latest outing turns Cleveland’s preseason into a broader referendum on whether the Browns can move on from a costly 2022 bet that has produced injuries, poor play and fan backlash.