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Ken Dorsey 'excited' to help Browns get Deshaun Watson back to former Pro Bowl form
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- Ken Dorsey 'excited' to help Browns get Deshaun Watson back to former Pro Bowl form
BEREA — Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey's previous NFL coaching stops have allowed him the chance to work with two of the most dynamic quarterbacks to past through the league in the last two decades.
Dorsey was there in Carolina when Panthers quarterback Cam Newton turned into the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 2015. Likewise, he was part of the process in Buffalo when Bills quarterback Josh Allen became the MVP runner-up in 2020.
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The question is , can Dorsey have a hand in a third such process now with the Browns. The only thing is, instead of growing into an elite quarterback, he's going to be tasked with helping Deshaun Watson re-discover a consistency at that level.
"I think the first thing is obviously we go through and we evaluate the season and we have honest conversations and hey, we look at tape and we watch what we did on the field and say, 'Hey, this is our standard and this was good enough and this maybe didn't live up to our standard,'" Dorsey said during Monday's introductory press conference . "I think that's the exciting thing about Deshaun is from everything I've been told from (head coach) Kevin (Stefanski) and the guys here, this guy, he wants to be coached, he wants to be pushed and driven and I think I'll be able to pick up where the staff has left off on that. And I think they've done a great job here throughout time."
Dorsey acknowledged he had been able to speak with Watson since he was initially hired by the Browns more than a week ago. While calling the conversation "great," he also said "we're in the phase, obviously in the offseason of just more getting to know each other and that type of thing."
Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey talks with quarterback Josh Allen before a preseason game against the Colts in Orchard Park, N.Y., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023.
Watson was acquired in a trade nearly two years ago from the Houston Texans with the thought that he would, sooner rather than later, solve the 20-plus-year-long mystery that has been the Browns' quarterback position. That was even with the knowledge he had already missed one season since his 2020 Pro Bowl year, and was facing what would end up being an 11-game suspension for the nearly two dozen allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct during massage appointments.
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That suspension, which limited Watson to just six games in 2022, was the pass given for that season. However, injuries instead of off-the-field issues prevented him from answering the questions about where he was really at as a quarterback this past season.
Watson only started six games for the Browns this past season, completing 61.4% of his passes for 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. He missed three full games plus essentially the final three quarters of another in October due to a rotator cuff strain, then was shelved for the final eight regular-season game and one playoff game after needing surgery to repair a broken glenoid in his shoulder.
Dorsey isn't focused on what Watson's missed. He's trying to focus on what he's done when he's on the field and build upon those things.
"It's clear what we've been capable of doing in the past few years and now to pick that up with Deshaun and really get going and obviously evaluate those things and then go in and let's build a great base of fundamentals that we could depend on throughout the year and make sure we're doing those things that come the fourth quarter of our games," Dorsey said. "We've still got a great base that'll help us be accurate. And when things get a little messy, we could still rely on those things and deliver accurate throws and make great decisions. So that's half the battle."
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson converts a two-point conversion against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half on an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Watson, at 6-foot-3, 223 pounds, isn't nearly the size of a Newton or an Allen. Both of those quarterbacks stand 6-5, and range between 237 and 245 pounds.
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Dorsey even disputes a direct one-to-one comparison in terms of styles of play. All three may utilize their legs more than some other quarterbacks, but he sees differences in each that makes things less copy-and-paste.
"I mean that's the thing, every quarterback, people looked and saw Cam and Josh and said, 'Oh, they're the same,'" Dorsey said. "They're very unique and different players in a lot of ways. … So everybody's unique in those types of ways, but some of the things that you can do stays the same. Their ability to get outside the pocket, create, make plays, third down extend plays and put a defense in a bind. And there's some teams that affects kind of how they call the game and how they game plan their rushes and their blitzes and those types of things because you got to a guy that can hurt them if he gets outside the pocket or breaks contain."
Which leads to maybe the most important thing to give Watson a chance to regain that three-time Pro Bowl level. That would just be the ability to be on the field and stay on the field.
The injuries Watson sustained this past season were at least partially attributed to his desire to keep plays alive and run. That's where Dorsey believes everyone needs to step back and take in the full picture with regards to how best to protect the asset while not putting full limits on Watson's natural abilities.
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"I mean, look, I've been through this a few times now and these guys are so competitive," Dorsey said. "They want to win. Deshaun wants to win and he's going to do anything humanly possible to help this football team win games. And sometimes that's putting your body on the line to do so. Now what we got to do is make sure we're evaluating when we're doing those things. … Those are all things that we will look at because clearly this team is at a different level when he's on the field, and that's the thing that we want to do as a staff is make sure we're communicating to him and him communicating with us what he's feeling, what he's seeing, and making sure we're doing everything possible to keep him healthy."
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: Ken Dorsey looking to help Deshaun Watson find old Pro Bowl form
