Can Deshaun Watson Provide The Cleveland Browns With The Necessary Finishing Kick?

If nothing else, Jacoby Brissett is probably the most popular backup quarterback in Cleveland Browns history, even though Monday was his first day with that title.

Brissett’s tenure as Cleveland’s starting quarterback ended on Sunday when he led the Browns to a 23-17 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Monday, Brissett became the Browns’ backup quarterback because Deshaun Watson became the starter. Watson was officially added to Cleveland’s roster on Monday, after serving his 11-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Watson hasn’t played in an NFL regular season game since the last game of the 2020 season, when he was a member of the Houston Texans. Ironically, Watson will resume his career Sunday, in Houston, when the Browns face the Texans, Watson’s former team.

In Watson’s absence, Brissett, whom the Browns signed as a free agent prior to the start of the season, knowing that Watson was likely going to be suspended for what then was going to be an indeterminant number of games, saved his best start for his last start – Sunday’s rousing victory over the Buccaneers.

On Monday Brissett went back to being a backup quarterback.

“I still have a job to do. I’m still on the team,” Brissett said. “I’m excited for (Watson) to come back. I’m looking forward to (this) week.”

Watson began working out at the Browns’ facility on October 10, and he’s been practicing with the team since November 16.

“Deshaun will take all the first team reps in practice now. He’s done a nice job, in the time he’s been away, staying physically and mentally sharp,” said Browns coach Kevin Stefanski.

Watson steps into a challenging assignment. The Brissett-led victory over the Bucs on Sunday snapped a streak in which the Browns had lost six of their last seven games. Cleveland hasn’t won back-to-back games in over a calendar year. With a record of 4-7 the Browns face an uphill battle to reach the postseason this year.

Adding the multi-dimensional Watson to their huddle should help, but how rusty the 27-year-old quarterback will be – remember, he hasn’t played in a game in almost two years – remains to be seen.

“We don’t know,” Stefanski said. “But we’re confident in Deshaun’s preparation for this moment. We’re all about team here. He’s worked very hard. He’s ready to go.”

At 4-7 the Browns have a long way to go to reach postseason play. They are three games behind AFC North division rivals Baltimore and Cincinnati, who are both 7-4. Cleveland does have games remaining with both the Ravens and the Bengals. The Browns will play them both, in consecutive weeks: the Bengals in Cincinnati on December 11, and the Ravens in Cleveland on December 18.

Realistically, the Browns probably have to run the table, starting Sunday in Houston, in order to reach postseason play. Cleveland’s last three games will be home to New Orleans, then at Washington and at Pittsburgh to end the season.

That’s a difficult gauntlet to run, but with the addition of Watson, the Browns’ best quarterback since Bernie Kosar 30 years ago, it’s not impossible.

“He’s played a lot of football, been in a lot of big games,” Stefanski said. “He can make all the throws. He can make plays with his feet. We’ll see. We always try to maximize the talents of our players, so we’ll do what he does best. We want to maximize his talents.”

The maximizing starts Sunday in Houston, and the Browns have very little margin for error in order to make the playoffs.

“Deshaun has the support of his teammates and the support of our organization,” Stefanski said. “Right now, our focus is on the Houston game, and he understands that.”

Asked if he thought the overtime win against Tampa Bay could be the springboard to a strong finishing kick by the Browns, defensive end Myles Garrett said, “I do. We have to view it as that. We have to carry that energy. . . and that confidence into the next game and to the next game. It’s about being 1-0 and all about keep swinging and keep doing your job, and we are going to like when we come out at the end of things. I think everybody (has fallen) into line with that.”