Deshaun Watson walked off the field after a tough home opener two weeks ago, covering his head with a towel as if trying to hide. Now, he feels a bit less embarrassed.
A much better performance last week in a 18-13 win against Jacksonville has boosted Watson’s confidence as the Browns (1-1) get ready to host the New York Giants (0-2) on Sunday. Still, Cleveland’s quarterback mentioned there’s a lot of room for improvement.
“We left a lot of opportunities out there on the field overall,” he said. “All of us.”
The Giants are in a similar situation, as they went into their locker room in shock after scoring three touchdowns but still losing 21-18 to Washington, who only managed field goals.
After the game, coach Brian Daboll faced criticism for not having a second kicker available, just in case Graham Gano, who had a groin injury, got hurt. Unfortunately, Gano strained his hamstring on the opening kickoff.
New York punter Jamie Gillan missed an extra point, and the Giants failed twice on 2-point conversions, which led to Daboll facing questions about his decisions and his future.
And it’s only Week 3. “Everyone realizes our record,” Giants quarterback Daniel Jones said. “I think everybody understands that, but no one’s discouraged.”
Watson’s comeback has given the Browns some hope that he has finally moved past two disappointing seasons.
Showing more confidence than in the opener—his first game since shoulder surgery last November—Watson completed 22 of 34 passes for 186 yards and scored on a 1-yard run against the Jaguars. He also made a couple of plays that only a few quarterbacks in the NFL could pull off.
