Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson pushed back on the criticism he has gotten for his performance in Week 1.
The Cleveland Browns will enter Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looking for a better game plan than in Week 1.
Cleveland opened the season with a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, starting the year 0-1. In the game, quarterback Deshaun Watson struggled, looking lost on the field at times against the Jaguars.
Watson finished the game by throwing for 205 yards with one touchdown and one interception. But the score came late in the contest, with the Jaguars' defense swarming Cleveland's offense at every turn.
The performance from Watson has led to more backlash for the Browns, with questions about why he is remaining the starter. After naming Watson the starter weeks ago, head coach Todd Monken received all sorts of criticism for the move.
But the Browns have remained consistent in the message that Watson is the starter, despite the issues in Week 1.
Heading into Week 2 against the Buccaneers, Watson discussed the expectations for the game. But instead of taking accountability for his performance against the Jaguars, Watson pushed back on the criticism, calling the media out.
"I think the media has this expectation that I'm supposed to throw 400 yards and 5 touchdowns every week, so until that happens, I guess it's going to be the same situation. So again, my job is to make sure I'm operating well, so we can try to get a win and keep moving forward from there," Watson said.
For Watson, he will need to put together a much stronger game in Week 2; otherwise, more questions about his ability will arise. The Browns will protect Watson as long as they can, but if he were to struggle again, it could get very challenging for this coaching staff.
Monken hasn't wavered in his defense of his quarterback, but Watson will need to prove something to him. The first-year head coach could be in some trouble if he were to keep playing Watson despite poor results on the field.
The players on the Browns seem to be backing Watson after his poor outing in Week 1, showing support. But that can only go for so long, especially if the team were to continue to drop games.
Cleveland has a big challenge on its hands in Week 2, facing a Buccaneers team that dropped its opening game of the season as well. Kickoff between the two teams is set to take place during the 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET window of games this weekend.
