Ever since Deshaun Watson made some tone-deaf comments about Cleveland Browns fans during the preseason, the reception that he was going to get in the regular-season home opener has been a huge topic of discussion. After a blowout loss in Week 1, when Watson was awful, it was commonly thought that he would be unplayable at home because the fan reaction would be so intensely negative.
Now, after engineering a comeback win against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, that outlook has changed significantly. But maybe not as much as you might think, and perhaps not for everyone.
With that in mind, analyst Anthony Lima is warning Browns fans about bringing negative energy into Huntington Bank Field when Cleveland hosts the Carolina Panthers this coming Sunday.
“Deshaun Watson doing well means all these young players are doing well. The Andrew Berry draft picks are doing well. The rebuilt offensive line, jury’s still out, but there was some good moments, is doing well. If you did it as a gag to start out, fine, but they kept capturing these guys on camera and they didn’t know whether to cheer or do what when the Browns are scoring touchdowns. Can that be just a one-game thing and be done with it, or are people still going to bring that same energy to the home game now as this young team has some confidence? If the fans are undercutting them throughout, I just don’t think that’s a recipe for any of this to go good,” Lima said.
"Deshaun Watson doing well means all these young players are doing well. Can that be just a one game thing and be done with it or are people still going to bring that same energy to the home game now as this young team has some confidence…I just don't think that's a recipe for… https://t.co/aOom0RVyLS pic.twitter.com/4mA4KHUFqq
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) September 21, 2026
Many fans were likely rooting against Watson, and in turn against head coach Todd Monken, as the Browns’ starting quarterback in their first two games on the road. Not only do many of them prefer Shedeur Sanders, others simply can’t stomach Watson in that role, based on his tainted personal history and disappointing tenure with the franchise to date.
After a non-competitive 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the season opener, they were likely gearing up to boo the heck out of Watson if he were to make it back to Cleveland as QB 1. Now, after a redemptive performance in the 23-19 upset of the Buccaneers, such a greeting would be misplaced.
Yet, as Lima mentioned, during that TV broadcast, many fans seemed unsure how to react as the Browns were fashioning a surprising victory. Perhaps they simply couldn’t believe that they were watching a fully functioning football team, or they were conflicted by their feelings about Watson.
Now, with Monken sparing no one who did not believe in him or his decisions, the Browns may be winning over those doubters. But this could also have been an outlier performance by Watson, and if things go badly early against the Panthers, the tide could turn back quickly.
Either way, the faithful know what they are walking into this week, and it will be very interesting to see how it all plays out.
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