The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition looks like it turned a corner this weekend, with Deshaun Watson getting first-team reps on back-to-back days and doing much better with them. Entering this week, it seems likely the veteran will be named the starter over Shedeur Sanders, at least for the first preseason game, which is coming up on Saturday.
It was a surprising development, as Sanders was expected to get the first-team reps this Saturday, with head coach Todd Monken even saying so beforehand. But those snaps went to Watson, and he did nothing to question that decision.
Insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com said Watson has made “tremendous strides” in camp, cleaning up the shortcomings that had been holding him back.
“Watson, who got all the first-team reps on Day 10 Saturday when it was supposed to be Sanders’ day, has increased his completion percentage, accuracy and productivity while also cutting down on the interceptions. He’s made tremendous strides in this area to the point where he seems close to getting the nod as QB1, even if the Browns don’t announce it. Watson, who came back Saturday with four more TDs and no picks, has also cut down on interceptions considerably over the past week, which is huge,” Cabot wrote.
On Saturday, according to ESPN Cleveland’s QB Tracker, Watson completed 23 of 34 attempts for four touchdowns and no interceptions. He had thrown a concerning eight interceptions in the opening nine practices.
Sanders completed 16 of his 20 attempts with no TDs and no INTs. Gabriel, who had shown enough at training camp to perhaps threaten Sanders for the QB2 role, was just 5-for-12 with no TDs and no INTs, getting increased reps. The Browns did not practice on Sunday.
The competition between Watson and Sanders had closed so much to the point it was thought that Sanders may have even been taking the lead in the early stages of camp, which opened late last month. But Watson seems to have risen to that challenge, likely picking up his game as he becomes more familiar with the offense and continues to work through the rust from being sidelined by injury for almost two full seasons.
Even if Monken continues to put off making an official announcement, the choice could be readily apparent if Watson continues to work with the first team in practice. Then, he likely would start and play at least a few offensive series against the Chicago Bears in the preseason opener.
At this point, it will be interesting to see if Sanders gets another chance to challenge for the job, or if he is forced to hold off Gabriel for the backup spot.
NEXT: Insider Says Browns Rookie Finally Showed His Other Side
