Few people expected it, but the Cleveland Browns currently have one of the best records in the NFL. The season is still young, and a lot can change, but there is no denying that this team has gotten off to a great start.
In fact, some people are already saying they could be playoff-bound. That’s quite a prediction, especially so early into the season, but it could happen. However, the Browns won’t get close to the playoffs if their starting quarterback can’t stay healthy.
Speaking on 92.3 The Fan, Mary Kay Cabot claimed that the team’s chances of going into the postseason rest on Deshaun Watson’s shoulders. If he remains in good physical shape, they have a fighting chance.
But if he doesn’t, this team could collapse.
“I think one of the things that has to happen is the running game needs to be more consistent, more aggressive. I think they need to accomplish the ground game in multiple ways, but they need to do it a little bit better than they have been doing it to make sure they keep the passing game nice and viable. They have a chance to make the playoffs, but the key here is to keep Deshaun as healthy as possible,” Cabot said.
“They have a chance to make the playoffs, but the key here is to keep Deshaun as healthy as possible.”
➡️ Mary Kay Cabot w/ @KenCarman & @SportsBoyTony on what the Browns offense still needs to improve and why the run game has to take pressure off Deshaun Watson.#Browns pic.twitter.com/FULKbc2zdU
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 8, 2026
It’s somewhat wild to hear people now hoping and praying to keep Watson in the game after all of the controversy and bad press he received during the offseason. Just days before the start of the 2026 season, many people were begging the Browns to let Watson go. Then the first game came, and cries to end the Watson chapter in Cleveland only grew.
But a lot has changed in the last few weeks. Not only is Watson playing well and looking healthy, but he’s leading the offense in ways that fans have been waiting for for years. He looks completely reinvigorated and tuned in, and he seems to be playing very well alongside his teammates.
Those teammates will need to continue playing their A-game with one goal in mind: keep Watson safe and healthy. They know that he is the leader of this team, and they need to protect him at all costs. Just one bad sack or one rough game could lead to an injury. History suggests that Watson can miss a lot of games when he’s hurt, and that’s the last thing the Browns want.
Just months ago, Watson was viewed as an albatross hanging around the team’s neck. Now he could be their driving force into the playoffs.
This is one of the most unpredictable and shocking turns in recent Browns history, and no one is sure what will come next.
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