Cleveland fans had an audible called on them this season when longtime play-by-play broadcaster Jim Donovan announced his surprise retirement as he is unfortunately again battling cancer.
After Donovan’s announcement, the team called Andrew Siciliano into action as the veteran broadcaster had filled in for Donovan previously for multiple games last season.
Siciliano is using his voice for more than just calling the games, however.
On “The Really Big Show” this week, Siciliano joined as a guest to give his thoughts on quarterback Deshaun Watson’s play in the Week 2 victory over the Jaguars.
ESPN Cleveland’s X account shared the encounter as Siciliano gave high marks to Watson’s early effort.
“I thought he did exactly what he had to do in the first half, and he moved the team down the field,” Siciliano said.
How would you grade Deshaun Watson's play against the Jags?
"I thought he did exactly what he had to do in the first half," – @AndrewSiciliano. pic.twitter.com/FQpaTCg7gc
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) September 16, 2024
The effort was significantly improved over the previous week, one where analysts were calling for a change at quarterback after Watson looked inept on the field.
Siciliano did not see that throughout the contest this weekend, noting that Watson made “the right decisions” and chose which receivers to target quickly in the first half against Jacksonville.
The play-by-play analyst had not seen that at times last year, particularly against the Steelers and Ravens in 2023.
Siciliano’s selection of those two games was meant to highlight how Watson made some head-scratching decisions in those two contests early on before pulling it together down the stretch.
Watson will look to build off this performance at home against the New York Giants this Sunday.
NEXT: Analyst Believes Deshaun Watson's Play Was More Important Than Getting First Win
