The Cleveland Browns survived another close game on Sunday. They got back on their feet when it mattered most, moved the chains, and took down the Baltimore Ravens in an ugly but crucial 13-10 divisional win.
Once again, Deshaun Watson and the offense made this much more difficult than it should've been. Watson's happy feet on seemingly every dropback, lack of patience before scrambling, and questionable decisions nearly cost the team. But he came up huge in the clutch. Again.
That's why head coach Todd Monken continues to have his back.
It seems like the head coach will just live and die by his quarterback's glaring limitations, knowing he'll just have to figure out a way to put him in a position to succeed.
“Deshaun, he knows he can play better. We can play better around him. But he’s just got something in him, the ability to make a play when needed. We’ve just got to flatten out some of the other ups and downs that we have, and it starts with me. It starts with our offensive staff and that’s going to always be the case. It’s a we thing and not an individual thing," Monken said postgame.
Todd Monken's defense of Deshaun Watson feels more like resignation
Watson may have had his worst half of the season, and that's saying something. He didn't turn the ball over, but he had just 24 passing yards at halftime. Ultimately, he finished the game with 16 completions on 26 attempts for 164 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He also had 29 rushing yards on eight scrambles.
The fact that Watson remains the team's best option speaks volumes about the quarterback room. But with a 4-2 record, there's just no way he'll hit the bench.
To be fair, as much as he's cost the team for the first three quarters of almost every game, Watson has also answered the call in the fourth quarter more often than not.
Talent alone can only take a player so far, and Watson will never be the MVP-caliber quarterback he once was. But despite how inconsistent he is and how his lack of pocket presence can be infuriating to watch, he's just... talented. He's got that 'it' factor that makes him take care of business with the game on the line.
Of course, this is unsustainable, and it showed last week against the New York Jets. Monken knows he'll have to figure out how to hide his quarterback's obvious issues to ensure he won't get in his own way.
That's why the Browns run the most plays out of shotgun of any team in the league. That's also why they can't run the ball with any sense of consistency. Monken is willing to ride or die with No. 4, even if that means hampering other aspects of the offense just to cater to what he does well.
We can all read between the lines. Monken is essentially letting the fans know that this is who Deshaun Watson is, and it's on everyone else to adjust.
Are the Browns winning because of him or in spite of him? It's probably a little bit of both, but they're winning, and that's all that matters right now.
Does that mean Watson should be back next season? Absolutely not.
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