Earlier this season, it would have been understandable to grade Deshaun Watson on a curve. The Cleveland Browns quarterback hadn’t played in a game in almost two years, and he was only expected to have the job for a couple of weeks.
Yet, entering Week 8, Watson has established himself as one of the most resilient quarterbacks in the NFL. He has erased some uneven performances with five game-winning drives, accounting for all of Cleveland’s victories in its surprising historic start.
Now, Watson is coming off his most complete game of the season. The 27-24 victory against the Tennessee Titans was also his first 300-yard passing day in five seasons with the Browns.
With that in mind, Watson was given a notable report card after another clutch win, with Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report handing him a B-plus, with no special accommodation needed.
“To Watson’s credit, he’s started slowly in multiple games and, frankly, didn’t play well for stretches. However, he’s continually responded when his team needed him to make plays. Even the quarterback’s mistakes are becoming less frequent. Two weekends ago, Watson didn’t have a turnover against the Baltimore Ravens. He did throw an interception against the Tennessee Titans, but the result wasn’t the quarterback’s fault,” Sobleski wrote.
Watson was a controversial choice by head coach Todd Monken to be Cleveland’s starter ahead of Shedeur Sanders. But it would be almost impossible to find someone who disagrees with it now.
There was bound to be some rust in Watson’s game following his long absence caused by two Achilles injuries. But he and the Browns have pushed through that, finding a way to keep games close and pull them out in the end.
The latest narrow win against Tennessee was a perfect example of that. After Watson’s first-quarter interception led to the Titans taking a 14-0 lead, the QB responded and, relying primarily on rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion, put the visiting Browns ahead 17-14 by halftime.
Watson’s running ability has been a surprisingly effective component of his arsenal, and it paid off with a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, his first rushing score since September 2024. Then, getting the ball back in a tie game with less than a minute to go, he used a long connection with Harold Fannin Jr. to put Andre Szmyt in range for a short game-winning field goal.
If Watson can follow this up with another strong performance in a key AFC North rematch with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8, his next grade is bound to be even higher.
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