The Cleveland Browns have won two of their five games with Jameis Winston at the helm.
That’s not particularly ideal.
Then again, they won one with Deshaun Watson all season.
Also, two of those wins were against divisional rivals, and chances are the team would’ve put up a different kind of fight in the losses if they weren’t already almost eliminated from playoff contention.
That’s why, after watching him slicing and dicing through the Denver Broncos’ great defense, Troy Aikman said what many fans and analysts seemed to think.
During the Monday Night Football broadcast, the legendary quarterback wondered how different things would be if the front office had decided to bench Watson and turn to Winston earlier in the season (via Awful Announcing):
“This year hasn’t been what people thought coming in. But the albatross is Deshaun Watson. If you go to Jameis Winston earlier in the year, does this look different?” Aikman questioned.
Troy Aikman says what a lot of Browns fans have been saying for weeks now about their disappointing season.
"This year hasn't been what people thought coming in. But the albatross is Deshaun Watson. If you go to Jameis Winston earlier in the year, does this look different?" pic.twitter.com/KnwmoSJ02B
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 3, 2024
Of course, it’s easy to jump to conclusions after everything has been said and done, but it’s impossible not to wonder about this.
As badly as the offensive line played, and as much as injuries also played a big role in the subpar season, Deshaun Watson seemed to be the most glaring issue for this team all year.
Fans and analysts urged the team to turn to Winston earlier.
It’s a shame that this once-promising season may have been doomed from the start for reasons unrelated to football.
Now, the team will have to make some tough decisions going forward.
NEXT: Browns' Defense Had A Concerning Stat In Loss To Broncos
