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Jake Trotter, ESPN Staff Writer
BEREA, Ohio — Deshaun Watson says that “sooner or later” he and the Cleveland Browns offense will begin to click following a rough start. The quarterback also said he hasn’t lost any confidence despite struggling over his eight games in a Browns uniform.
“I’m always going to have confidence. That’s just the person I am,” Watson said Thursday. “Me losing confidence, that’s not something I’m going to do.”
During the Browns’ 26-22 loss Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense turned two of Watson’s turnovers into touchdowns, including T.J. Watt‘s game-winning scoop-and-score after a fourth-quarter fumble.
Watson attributed the struggles to not “being on the same page with everybody else” offensively. He said season-ending injuries to right tackle Jack Conklin (knee) in Week 1 and All-Pro running back Nick Chubb (knee) in Week 2 contributed to the miscommunications, but “we’re coming along.”
The Browns traded for Watson in the 2022 offseason, sending the Houston Texans three first-round picks to complete the deal. Cleveland then signed the former Pro Bowler to a five-year extension worth an NFL-record $230 million fully guaranteed.
Last season, Watson served an 11-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy after he was accused by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and sexual misconduct during massage sessions. He returned to start the final six games but finished with a Total QBR of 40.4, which ranked sixth worst among starting quarterbacks.
Through two games this season, Watson ranks 30th among starting quarterbacks in Total QBR (29.3) and is last in the league in passing EPA (-1.7).
Watson said he is aware of the criticism he is receiving but noted that “it comes with the status and the standard that people hold me to.”
“I’m going to continue to work and continue to compete,” Watson said, “and just try to get better as best I can.”
