The Cleveland Browns have struggled to meet expectations this season.
Given how they fared last year, it was only right to expect them to be as good or slightly better this year.
That wasn’t the case.
Deshaun Watson’s subpar play set the team back on offense repeatedly.
Analysts and fans urged the team to turn to Jameis Winston earlier in the season, yet the team decided to stick with Watson until he suffered a season-ending injury.
That decision would’ve been on the head coach most of the time.
This time, however, most reports state that it likely came from the top.
That’s why Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com believes the fans – or the organization – cannot blame Kevin Stefanski for how things went down this season:
“The coach was put in a lousy position from a move that ultimately was an ownership decision. Yes, I heard GM Andrew Berry liked Watson as a player, as did others with the Browns. But when you bring in a player with a monster contract and ugly off-field baggage that fractures a fan base – that’s an ownership move,” Pluto said.
That’s right on point.
The Browns’ decision to stick with Watson seemed motivated by money, not performance.
Otherwise, it would’ve been extremely hard to justify keeping him on the field.
Jameis Winston, while far from perfect, has looked much better, and so has the offense.
The team is stuck with Watson for another two seasons, as he’s still owed a lot of money.
Given his off-field controversies, injury-proneness, and bad performances, it’s highly unlikely another team will willingly take his contract.
In hindsight, giving him a fully guaranteed contract without even watching him play once for the team may not have been the wisest decision.
Still, it seems like the owners have no one but themselves to blame for it.
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