Was Deshaun Watson actually great against the Bengals in 2022?

After 700 days off the NFL field, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson looked rusty at best against his former team in Houston. Just one week later, Watson was thrust into his first AFC North divisional matchup in Cincinnati against the Bengals. The Browns lost the contest, but how many people remember what Watson did throughout that game?

Cleveland kept things simple for Watson against the Texans as the quarterback was only asked to throw 22 passes. But, in his second game after his 700-day layoff, Watson had to throw 42 passes against Cincinnati. The Bengals jumped out to an early lead on the Browns defense, so they had no choice but to turn to Watson--who was still trying to catch up to NFL game speed--to move the ball on offense.

There were highs and lows throughout the game, but overall Watson completed 26 of his 42 pass attempts for a 61.9 completion percentage. However, the Browns receivers were charged with three drops on the day. If you look at the adjusted completion percentage, you'll find it was a season-high 80.6% for Watson. He tallied 276 yards and one touchdown in the game. He was also intercepted once.

When looking back at this game, it's encouraging to see that the Pro Bowl version of Watson was very much evident on the field. In just his second game back in 700+ days, Watson threw 42 passes and racked up almost 300 yards through the air. He also carried the ball three times for an additional 33 yards.

Overall, he picked up 19 first downs for the Browns in a game where Nick Chubb and the rushing attack were essentially eliminated by the Bengals early lead.

With a full offseason and preseason with the team and two weeks to prepare for the home opener against the Bengals, Watson should be more than ready to build upon his performance last season. And that performance was actually much better than many people seem to recall.

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