Deshaun Watson did not play well in the Cleveland Browns’ Week 5 loss to the New York Jets. But it can be safely said that it wasn’t all his fault.
Watson not only lost one of his top targets, rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion, to injury in the first quarter, but he was also besieged by the Jets’ pass rush, which sacked him eight times and pressured him on almost 70 percent of his dropbacks. As usual, the offensive line also could not get the running game going, but this time Watson was not able to overcome it with a game-winning fourth-quarter scoring drive.
The Browns and Watson face a tough test at home on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. But after that, the schedule gets a bit more forgiving, even though the following three games are all on the road.
With that in mind, analyst Ken Carman said Watson is facing a big upcoming test and needs to be successful against the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New Orleans Saints.
“You can beat Tennessee because Tennessee is more bunned, and I wonder if there’s already a quit factor there. I don’t know what the Saints are right now. Their defense is not very good. And the Steelers, well, you’re going to Pittsburgh, you haven’t beaten them in Pittsburgh since 2003. You’ve got this nice reprieve afterwards, but this is going to be a sincere test here over the next month of Deshaun Watson,” Carman said.
“This is going to be a sincere test here over the next month of Deshaun Watson.”
➡️ @KenCarman w/ @SportsBoyTony on the upcoming stretch that could reveal a lot about Watson and the #Browns. pic.twitter.com/RLIPFt6MUQ
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 16, 2026
The Titans are 0-5 and looked every bit like one of the worst teams in the NFL during their recent home loss to the Houston Texans. Heading into a Week 6 game at the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee has scored fewer than 21 points in each of its losses, and quarterback Cam Ward has not proven worthy of being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Steelers present a much more significant challenge in Week 8. The Browns have not won a regular-season game at Pittsburgh since October 2003, and Aaron Rodgers will likely be looking for revenge after falling short in a 27-24 Cleveland victory in Week 4.
The Saints’ lone win this season came in Week 2 against the Ravens, scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns for the comeback victory. New Orleans has allowed 103 points during a three-game losing streak, but it will be coming off its bye before hosting Cleveland in Week 9.
The Browns host the Texans in Week 10 before their bye week, and they need to be above .500 to maintain their playoff hopes after this stretch.
NEXT: Analyst Predicts Winner Of Browns-Ravens Matchup
