The Cleveland Browns put forth an impressive performance going up against the Buffalo Bills in a joint practice on Thursday. It was helped by solid play from both of their top quarterbacks, Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.
Watson did throw an interception, which has been a major problem for him throughout training camp. But he also hit rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion on two downfield throws as they continued to build on the chemistry they displayed in the first preseason game last Saturday against the Chicago Bears.
Afterward, Browns legend Joe Thomas turned heads with his claim about Watson, saying he looked better than he ever has since he joined the team in 2022.
“This may have been Deshaun’s best practice his entire time here in Cleveland. He was pushing the football downfield. He was still decisive, he was accurate, but he was taking some shots down the field and he was connecting with this talented receiver group,” Thomas said,
Browns legend, Joe Thomas on the the joint practice vs the Bills:
"This may have been Deshaun's best practice since he's been a Cleveland Brown. He was pushing the ball down field, he was decisive & accurate."
Seem like the QB battle between Shedeur and Deshaun is over. #Browns pic.twitter.com/4QHTrPWU2a
— Tommy (@NFL_OGs) August 21, 2026
Of course, there haven’t been as many times to evaluate Watson as the Browns or their fans would have liked. With a lengthy NFL suspension related to accusations of sexual assault against him, and season-ending shoulder and Achilles injuries, Watson has played in just 19 of 68 possible games since his trade from the Houston Texans.
Those circumstances also severely limited his practice participation, as he had not taken part in training camp since before the 2024 season. He also was not cleared to practice until very late last season.
However, since returning to action at an early minicamp in April, Watson has shown that he is fully healthy and capable of rising to his former Pro Bowl level at times. While his inaccuracy and interceptions were a troubling trend, there was a line of thinking that he was just trying to make difficult throws to find out what he was still able to do after so much time on the sidelines.
He did not take those risks against the Bears, with an average air yards per pass of just 4.4. He also did not complete any pass for more than 10 yards.
However, against the Bills, he seemed to open it up a bit, and it will be interesting to see if he continues to do so when he enters the preseason game against them on Saturday to open the second half, after Sanders plays the first half.
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