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Daniel Oyefusi, ESPN
CLEVELAND — All through the offseason and coaching camp, Cleveland Browns gamers, coaches and executives spoke glowingly in regards to the state of their revamped offense constructed round Deshaun Watson and restoring the type of the beginning quarterback who was getting back from his season-ending shoulder surgical procedure.
Nonetheless, a season-opening 33-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday highlighted offseason issues that the unit should right forward of its Week 2 highway recreation in opposition to the Jacksonville Jaguars. By halftime, the Browns trailed 20-3 and had totaled only one first down. It was the primary time the group had one or fewer first downs in a primary half since Week 16 of the 2005 season. Cleveland averaged 3.3 yards per play and was 2-of-15 on third down, the worst conversion price for the group since that 2005 recreation.
“There’s issues that I do know we will do higher, issues that instantly you noticed that was not how we wished to do it,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski stated after the sport. “However we had loads of time to organize. Simply didn’t get it accomplished right now.”
Watson has struggled since his debut in Cleveland within the 2022 season, recording one of many worst QBRs within the NFL in his 12 begins main as much as this season’s opener. However he hit a brand new low in opposition to Dallas; his 9.4 QBR was the bottom mark of his profession in a recreation with at the least 10 passes.
Watson went 24-of-45 for 169 yards, one landing and two interceptions. He was 0-for-9 on passes thrown 15 or extra yards downfield, probably the most makes an attempt in his profession on these throws with no completion. Watson averaged simply 2.6 air yards per try, the bottom mark in his profession.
The Browns introduced in Ken Dorsey as offensive coordinator to assist bridge Stefanski’s system with a extra shotgun-based one which higher suited Watson’s talent set. As an alternative, Watson appeared as uncomfortable as he ever has in a Browns uniform, indecisive and off-target together with his throws.
“Simply the stream of the sport,” Watson stated of the shortage of downfield passing. “Regardless of the play is named, you attempt to discover the open man and the man is there and generally the push is getting there, so you bought to dump it off to your checkdown. Simply the stream of the sport and the way the sport is getting known as.”
Whereas Watson struggled, the Browns’ points on offense weren’t restricted to the quarterback. An offensive line enjoying with out beginning tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin, who remained sidelined by final 12 months’s season-ending knee accidents, could not block the Cowboys’ defensive entrance. Watson was pressured on 22 dropbacks, tied for probably the most in his profession. Cleveland could not lean on its operating recreation both, totaling simply 54 yards on 14 carries, excluding Watson’s scrambles.
“There’s going to be video games and throws that you simply miss, but it surely’s making these performs which might be there once they current themselves,” Stefanski stated. “After which we simply must do a greater job defending him, No. 1. … We won’t permit our quarterback to get hit that many occasions.”
Self-inflicted errors exacerbated the Browns’ disjointed effort. Dallas accepted seven Cleveland penalties on offense, six of which have been pre-snap or procedural infractions.
“I might say simply offensively, it is by no means a one-man present,” Stefanski stated Monday. “To get in rhythm with the quarterback, you need to get in rhythm as an offense. After which we did not do this properly sufficient. And it is multifaceted, and it contains me and contains our coaches, so we’ll be higher.”
Watson was held out of the preseason as he participated in all however one coaching camp follow in his return from shoulder surgical procedure. Not solely did Watson not play in any exhibition video games, however his prime receivers — Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore — all missed time in the summertime due to accidents. Earlier than the season opener, Stefanski downplayed any issues a couple of lack of chemistry for the offense. And after its uninspiring debut, Stefanski refused to make use of it as an excuse.
The Browns may get reinforcements on the offensive line quickly. Stefanski did not have an replace on Wills or Conklin on Monday. However Conklin was listed as questionable earlier than being dominated out, and Wills returned to follow final week.
Cleveland might be lacking a prime pass-catcher, although, as Stefanski stated tight finish David Njoku is “week to week” after sustaining an ankle harm within the opener.
However the main components of a supporting solid that rallied round Joe Flacco late final season largely stay in place. And whereas Watson and people round proceed to specific confidence that he can get again to the Professional Bowl type he confirmed throughout his time with the Houston Texans, increasingly time passes with out constant performances to again the assumption.
“Nothing must be drastic,” guard Joel Bitonio stated. “You do not wish to overreact to Sport 1. We do wish to play higher. It isn’t an overreaction to say that. It is simply what we have to do.”