Playing in the Hall of Fame Game puts two teams front and center before the rest of the NFL.
And the Cleveland Browns took advantage of their chance to send a message to their peers.
Chris Simms of NBC Sports was among the pundits and analysts connecting with Browns players and coaches.
And he told the pregame audience what he heard most from the Cleveland side, per Awful Announcing.
"The thing I was told multiple times is don't look at last year. The man has knocked the rust off, and you're going to see the old Deshaun Watson that we used to see before he had some issues."- Chris Simms pic.twitter.com/SJRkbEJ6HO
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 3, 2023
“(The Browns) believe in Deshaun Watson. The thing I was told multiple times is don’t look at last year. The man has knocked the rust off, and you’re going to see the old Deshaun Watson that we used to see.”
Watson has looked engaged and motivated to put last season behind him.
He’s led several off-site throwing and workout sessions with his receivers.
And he looks to be in the best shape of his still-young career.
But the Browns have 230 million other reasons to hope their quarterback is back on track.
Does Rust Explain Everything?
Rust is the word thrown around to explain Watson’s awful Browns debut.
Over six games last year, only Baker Mayfield and the retired Joe Flacco achieved a lower EPA-per-play.
And as much as Browns fans hoped for a 6-0 run to squeak into the playoffs, 3-3 was the best Watson could do.
For the money he was paid, fans rationally hoped Watson would step right in at top form.
But even NFL players are human, and as much as they work off-field, there is no substitute for playing games.
And it had been well over a year since Watson took an NFL field and played at that speed.
Why Cleveland Believes In Watson
Watson also had the weight of the criminal and civil allegations hanging over him for much of last year.
Even though there are still a couple of open cases, his off-field concerns seem to be in the rearview mirror.
At the very least, he is clear of any further NFL punishment as long as he stays to his discipline plan.
And that means he is able to focus on his NFL career again.
.@deshaunwatson has come a long way with this offense pic.twitter.com/BFoKeLaBU1
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 1, 2023
Watson is throwing the ball and moving well enough to believe he is returning to form.
There is a chance he will never experience another season like 2020 when he led the NFL in passing.
But anywhere close to that will lead to success in Cleveland at the head of a better roster.
And knowing his teammates and coaches believe in him can’t hurt his chances at an NFL comeback.
NEXT: Kevin Stefanski Talks About Dorian Thompson-Robinson's Debut