NFL analyst calls for Browns to bench Deshaun Watson for Jameis Winston

It didn’t take long for hopeful anticipation to turn into sour frustration. During the second quarter of the Cleveland Browns home opener, the boo birds were out in full force — targeting Deshaun Watson.

His rough start was too much to overcome as the Browns fell to 0-1 after losing to the Dallas Cowboys. Defeat on its own hurts but the real aggravation comes from Watson’s continued struggles.

As we’re seeing for the third year in a row, he’s not a good fit in Kevin Stefanski’s offense. He doesn’t read the field well, especially after being asked to turn his back while performing play-action. He’s also inconsistent with his accuracy and has struggled mightily with pressure throughout his tenure in Cleveland.

All that being thrown together is why former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky said on ESPN’s ‘Get Up’ that the coaching staff has to consider replacing Watson with Jameis Winston.

The No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Winston spent five years with the Tampa Bay Bucs and four with the New Orleans Saints. He’s far from a perfect player but the last time he was a starter, he could at least move the ball.

In 2019, he led the league with 5,109 while throwing 33 touchdowns and 30 picks. There’s something to be said for being good enough — and bad enough — to hit such numbers.

With the Saints, he seemed to progress quite a bit. In 10 starts, he led them to a 6-4 mark with 2,367 yards and a 20-to-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Cleveland moved on from Joe Flacco this offseason in favor of Winston. One suspected reason was the popularity Flacco gained by going 4-1 down the stretch. After one game, and despite not throwing a regular-season pass, Winston is already aiming for that level of popularity in Cleveland. And if Watson doesn’t bounce back, he’s going to get there sooner than later.

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