For nearly two decades, the Cleveland Browns were perennial losers as the team slumped through a 19-year playoff drought before Kevin Stefanski arrived.
Since his arrival, however, Cleveland has made two playoff appearances in four years and been competitive even in down seasons.
Yet the national sentiment around the Browns hasn’t evolved as the team remains mired by the stigma it’s a dysfunctional franchise that cannot win meaningful games or make deep playoff runs.
Part of that aura was created by the team’s choice to trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson in 2022 and sign him to a five-year, $230 million contract that has yet to pan out for the Browns.
Those conditions have earned the ire of analyst John Fanta.
On the “Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show,” Fanta did not hold back in his analysis of the quarterback’s play from Sunday’s victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars (via X).
“This past Sunday didn’t change a lot of how I feel about Deshaun Watson,” Fanta said, adding, “My standards, our standards, when you’re paying No. 4 (Watson) the money that you’re paying … the standards are to win the Super Bowl now.”
.@John_Fanta says Deshaun Watson's performance last Sunday against the Jaguars didn't change his opinion of him much. Fanta went on to say the #Browns didn't pay that price to get a version of any QB of the #Browns past #DawgPound | https://t.co/N6JxfICScD pic.twitter.com/DazM3zkORZ
— Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show (@ultCLEsports) September 18, 2024
Despite showing flashes, Fanta believes the quarterback had played more akin to Joe Flacco or Baker Mayfield in the win, and the analyst believes that Watson must elevate his play due to his elevated pay.
Fanta was also upset with social media memes that called Huntington Banks Field “the saddest place on Earth,” juxtapositioning it with Walt Disney World as being one of the happiest places to visit.
Watson – who finished the game completing 22 of 34 passes for 186 yards and one rushing touchdown – was not at the elite level fans have expected him to assume this season, Fanta surmised.
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