Deshaun Watson's first game back for the Cleveland Browns was... something. As expected, Watson failed to get into any sort of rhythm on offense after he turned the ball over on the opening drive.
It only went further downhill from there, and the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't even need to do anything fancy or out of the ordinary to hold Watson in check. In fact, defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile ranked 14th in blitz rate in Week 1.
That's why, after crunching the numbers, one can only wonder how Watson might fare against a defensive-minded head coach like Todd Bowles.
Bowles loves to scheme up blitz-heavy defenses with plenty of pre-snap movement and disguise, and that could spell trouble for Watson.
Deshaun Watson struggled mightily when blitzed in Week 1
Per Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi, Bowles' Buccaneers blitzed on 43.2 percent of their opponent's dropbacks in Week 1, the fourth-highest rate in the league.
Watson struggled to set his feet and stay in the pocket while dropping back. Even though he spent extensive time in shotgun, he often took an additional six-plus steps back on those snaps as well.
The offensive line doesn't have much of a fighting chance under those circumstances. It's nearly impossible to properly reset the pocket, yet the Browns' new-look line did a solid job more often than not, all things considered.
Watson's numbers against the blitz were horrible. There's just no way to sugarcoat it. Per Pro Football Focus, he completed 3 of 6 attempts for 25 yards and an interception, leading to a 24.8 passing grade.
But that's only the beginning.
Watson averaged 4.2 yards per attempt against the blitz. His average depth of target was just 6 yards, and he took a sack on 37.5 percent of his dropbacks when blitzed (3). Despite having 3.17 seconds to throw, he scrambled twice, secured just three first downs, and had a 21.5 passer rating.
For comparison, Joe Burrow also struggled when the Bucs' tough defense sent extra rushers. He completed just 60 percent of his passes for 46 yards with no touchdowns, one interception, and a 37.1 passer rating. His offensive line didn't hold up as well as the Browns' did, giving Burrow just 2.54 seconds to throw.
Deshaun Watson clearly isn't Joe Burrow. That should go without saying by now. And with his tendency to drift backward, not set his feet, and throw off-balance passes on the move, this could be another long day in the office for No. 4.
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