Deshaun Watson is tired of the screen-grabbing fans on social media criticizing his decision to bypass an open receiver on a key play.
Cleveland’s quarterback has come under fire for not throwing to open tight end Jordan Akins on fourth down in the fourth quarter of the Browns’ 21-15 loss to the Giants last week, instead opting for an unsuccessful run.
“Because other people are not in the film room, so not everyone knows exactly what the read was,” Watson said Wednesday. “That was a decoy. So, that’s the difference. Everyone can pause the tape and say, ‘Hey, he should have thrown it here, he should have thrown it here.’ Every quarterback deals with that.
Akins was open while streaking toward the sideline on a fourth-and-1 play with roughly four minutes remaining and the Browns looking to erase that six-point deficit.
A quick pass would have surely resulted in a first down since Giants safety Tyler Nubin was picked during the play, creating added separation for Akins.
Watson instead decided to take off before he sacked on a zero-yard rush at his own 29-yard line, all but ending the Browns’ prayers for a signature comeback win.
“So if you choose one play, and that’s the play out of the whole game that everyone is calling, then so be it,” Watson said. “It is what it is.
“No one’s in those film rooms, no one is making those decisions. So, I go based off of what is [offensive coordinator] Ken Dorsey and [coach] Kevin Stefanski saying. On that decision, they made a good play. They got jammed up on the slant. That’s what we did. The previous time when we scored a touchdown, I did the same exact read and I hit [wide receiver] Jerry [Jeudy]. So, did I see it wrong then? So for me, it’s like I said before, I go based off what Kevin and Ken is making those decisions and how they grade at me on that.”
Watson has struggled badly this year to keep the Browns afloat on offense after Joe Flacco took the reins at the end of the 2023 season, winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year and leading them to a unexpeted playoff berth.
Fans’ frustration appears to have hit a fever pitch amid the Browns’ 1-2 start to the season.
Cleveland faces the Raiders (1-2) on Sunday in Las Vegas in what could be an early must-win contest.