Cleveland Browns 3 bold predictions vs. Bengals in Week 14
By Randy Gurzi
Cleveland Browns Bold Prediction No. 1: Deshaun Watson throws two touchdown passes
Anyone who expected Deshaun Watson to show up in Week 13 and look like the player we saw in 2020 was kidding themselves. Watson hadn’t played in a regular season game in 700 days after sitting out the entire 2021 campaign and then missing 11 games this year due to a suspension.
His debut with the Browns was exactly what we should have expected — a chance to get his feet wet and begin to work off the rust. He’s not starting from scratch the way a rookie does, but Watson has to figure out how to make the game slow down once again.
That will happen and the good news for Cleveland is that they did get the win despite a very un-Watson-like stat line — 12-of-22 for 131 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.
With that being said, he should start to look better this weekend, but he won’t be all the way back. Watson should show some improvement and this prediction is that he’s going to throw not just his first touchdown pass for the brown and orange, but his second as well.
Having David Njoku back in the lineup will be a huge boost for Watson. One thing that stood out in Week 13 was how much pressure was affecting his game. When he was forced to scramble, the passes were typically off the mark. With Njoku as a safety valve, Watson will be able to get a few more completions on broken plays that will help his confidence as well as the rhythm of the offense.
Again, he’s not likely to be back to 100 percent by Week 14 but he’s going to show progress, which is a positive.
