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Browns continue to not 'catch a rhythm' on offense in loss to Commanders
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- Browns continue to not 'catch a rhythm' on offense in loss to Commanders
LANDOVER, Md. — Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he has no plans to change quarterbacks. Deshaun Watson said "that's a Kevin question" when asked if he felt offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey should take over the play-calling duties.
That's where the Browns are offensively five games into a 1-4 season. Specifically, that's where they are after Sunday's 34-13 loss to the Washington Commanders .
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Backup quarterback Jameis Winston came in for the Browns' final possession, which started with just 2:28 remaining. Stefanski was asked if there was any chance Winston could start the next game, Sunday at the Philadelphia Eagles .
"We're not changing quarterbacks," Stefanski said. "We need to play better. I need to coach better. And that's really what it is."
What the Browns offense really has been is below average across the board. The one thing it had done well over the first four games was at least taking its first possession and turning it into points.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is tackled by a host of Washington Commanders defenders during the fourth quarter Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Landover, Maryland.
Cleveland wasn't even able to do that against Washington, turning the ball over on downs at the Commanders 47. The only points it could muster through the first 52:58 of the game came on two field goals by Dustin Hopkins until Watson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to backup tight end Jordan Akins with 7:02 remaining.
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"Got to catch a rhythm," Watson said of the offensive struggles. "I think that's the biggest thing. You just got to find what are we great at, what are we really good at and, I guess, you got to perfect that."
Washington had already opened a 34-6 lead before Watson's touchdown pass. The Commanders had also already put in backup quarterback Marcus Mariota on their previous series to keep rookie sensation Jayden Daniels from taking any unnecessary hits late.
Daniels had the kind of performance, in relative terms, the Browns have been waiting for from Watson all season. The Commanders rookie completed 14 of 25 passes — well below his league-best 82.1% completion percentage — for 238 yards with a touchdown, an interception, an 85.1 passer rating and 82 rushing yards.
Watson, meanwhile, completed 15 of 28 passes for a season-low 125 yards with a touchdown and a 77.2 passer rating. That was part of an overall day during which the Browns offense netted just 212 yards and failed to convert on its first 10 third-down tries.
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"I mean, that's what people do," Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper said after another game with high targets (10) and low catches (four) and receiving yards (60). "You got to try to blame somebody but, to be honest, I don't think Deshaun is a problem at all. I think we could all just play better for him."
The most positive statistic for Watson was one. That was the number of votes of confidence the quarterback received from his head coach.
"Yeah, we just got to continue to take what the defense give us at the end of the day," Watson said. "So I'm rocking with whatever the coach's decision is. Like I said, we don't listen to the outside world, regardless of what it is. So that's all I can do is worry about where I can control."
The verbal shots Watson takes can't be any worse than the shots he's taking on the field. Washington sacked him seven times and hit him 11 times, meaning he's been sacked 26 times in the first five games.
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The Commanders, according to Watson, increased the amount of pressures and blitzes they used compared to other games. It was similar to what he said after a Week 3 loss to the New York Giants , and something he knows is the book by opposing defenses against him.
"I mean, yeah, that's the strategy," Watson said. "Get the ball out of my hands. They're relying on their secondary and their defense to rally and make tackles. So we got to find ways to be able to support that. Sometimes we're going to be hot, so I got to get the ball and throw it to my running back or tight end, things like that, and we got to make plays. Until we hit explosive or pick up the games and the pressure, teams probably going to continue to do that."
There's one other aspect of the offense that again contributed to the lack of momentum — penalties.
The Browns were flagged nine times for 52 yards. That included a sequence early in the third quarter during which a first-down false start and a fourth-down delay of game — taken to avoid being flagged for having 12 in the huddle — turned a first-and-goal at the Washington 1 into a Hopkins field goal to cut the deficit to 24-6.
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"Yeah, it was frustrating," left guard Joel Bitonio said. "Defense played well in the first quarter and a half of the game and we didn't execute. We had a good drive going. We got down to the 2-yard line. I think we had a couple penalties down there, and you just can't do that to yourself. The game's hard enough.
"We have to do a better job, basic stuff, we just have to be better, honestly, every aspect of it. But it's frustrating."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns still can't 'catch a rhythm' on offense in loss to Commanders
