Where was David Njoku? Cleveland Browns TE sees three targets in Week 5 loss

On the very first play in the Cleveland Browns Week 5 bout against the Washington Commanders, QB Deshaun Watson targeted TE David Njoku. Njoku, who had been out since the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, suited up and looked like a great answer to Cleveland's issues on offense.

His size works wonders for the offense both with his ability to create space and his blocking capabilities. He's the perfect TE to slot into this offense that tends to opt for shorter passes as Watson continues to struggle with placing the ball in Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, or Elijah Moore's hands.

So in true 2024 Cleveland Browns fashion, Watson only targetted Njoku three times for 14 yards. This, despite obvious struggles with getting the ball further down field. Njoku could have helped to at least gain some short yardage on any number of the Browns 3rd and short situations, or on the teams' 4th and goal that ended in a field goal. But, because he was still ramping up from injury, he was held to a fairly low number of snaps.

And, per the team and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, he suffered another knee injury in the loss.

Despite his limited use in the offense, he didn't hide his frustration with what he saw out of Watson during the game. He appeared to be open on a quick hit pass in the second quarter of the contest when the game was still within reach. Watson proceeded to pass to the ground and in between Njoku and TE Jordan Akins.

Nothing inspiring from Watson in this game, but that's especially true on this play.

Injuries starting to paint 2024 picture

Nick Chubb has yet to return and we've yet to see a fully healthy O-line. The team just got Njoku back, and Myles Garrett is not playing at 100 percent health. There would be a lot to be hopeful for if Cleveland had a competent quarterback. That's not the case, though, and even with news of Chubb's imminent return, you can't help but feel like pulling up Tankathon instead of postseason outlook takes on this team.

Cleveland is 1-4 about a quarter of the way through the year, currently completing just 61.5 percent of its passes with just 868 receiving yards. The team is only averaging 8.1 yards per reception, good for second to last in the league just behind the Denver Broncos. Its rushing game is also subpar, picking up 483 rushing yards total so far this season with no clear RB1. Its defense hinges on the offense's ability to score when they generate turnovers - since the team isn't scoring on those TOs, the defense is getting tired early, and that's leading to ballooned scores like what we saw in Week 5.

Most of this is because of injuries. The Browns have no consistency, no identity, and no chemstry on offense because most of the O-line is on a carousel. But, a leader in Watson has yet to be seen, and the team will suffer as a result.