Browns O-line, Deshaun Watson battle over who is worse in Week 3 loss

Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns started hot against the New York Giants in Week 3. Then, they completely fell apart.

Watson took the first offensive snap of the game from the New York 24 following a special teams turnover and fired a dart toward Amari Cooper.

The veteran wideout hauled in the pass and kept his feet in bounds for the touchdown. Not only did this give them a 7-0 lead, but it was the first time since 2005 that the Browns scored a touchdown on the opening drive.

It was also huge for Cooper since he needed a spark following his slow start to the season. Unfortunately, the success was short-lived.

New York scored on their next series — thanks in large part to a penalty on Greg Newsome II that negated an interception. They headed into the half with a 21-7 lead. While Daniel Jones hit rookie Malik Nabers twice for touchdowns, it was the defense that led the way.

Cleveland's offensive line had no answers for the New York pass rush. Their second and third drives ended when Watson was sacked on third down and they went into the break with four sacks. When Watson wasn't being sacked, he was again struggling with accuracy and was hit with a penalty for intentional grounding.

New York finished with eight sacks, resulting in a loss of 48 yards. As poor as the O-line played, Watson did them no favors as he was again holding onto the ball for far too long, resulting in more than one sack that should have been placed on his shoulders. It was a battle to see who could fail worse when trying to meet expectations and there were no winners — and those who watched all suffered in the loss.

Browns dealing with more injuries

In addition to the defeat, Cleveland had to deal with more injuries. Both Dawand Jones and Myles Garrett had to leave at one point due to injuries. During a late drive following a missed field goal by Greg Joseph, Amari Cooper also suffered an injury.

Both Garrett and Jones returned, and Cooper's didn't appear serious. He just landed awkwardly after reaching out on a terrible throw from Watson. They should all be fine but the Browns need to catch a break when it comes to injuries.

Up next

The Browns will hit the road again in Week 4 as they take on the Las Vegas Raiders.

More Browns news and analysis