5 takeaways from Browns loss to Falcons in Week 4

1. It’s obvious why they went for Deshaun Watson

Through four games we have seen Jacoby Brissett be exactly what he’s supposed to be. He’s been an efficient game manager capable of helping a team win. He’s not, however, going to be someone who can put a team on his back.

Twice this season he’s needed to lead his team down for a field goal to either win or tie. Against Carolina in Week 1, he was able to do so thanks primarily due to a 15-yard penalty against the Panthers. That allowed Cade York to knock in a 58-yard field goal for the win.

This past weekend, while trailing by three, Brissett couldn’t get it done and his final pass was picked off. This isn’t meant as a knock on him but it’s a harsh reminder that he’s a journeyman for a reason — and the calls for him to stay under center even when Deshaun Watson returned were absurd.

Cleveland’s front office understands that quarterbacks move the needle in the NFL. Can you win a few games and make a run with a backup? Sure. But they don’t want to make a singular fluke run, they want to be perennial contenders and in order for that to happen, an elite quarterback is needed.

The Super Bowl won’t be won every year by the same team but the ones with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Matthew Stafford will always have a realistic shot at winning it. Cleveland wasn’t going to be in that boat with Baker Mayfield and Brissett is a reminder that a free agent addition wasn’t going to do it either.

Rather than gamble on another rookie, they decided to put all their chips on the table and land an elite playmaker. They’ll take a major PR hit and have to endure 11 games with him sidelined but by 2023, this is going to be one of the teams capable of making a run for the next several years.