The Cleveland Browns endured a difficult start to the 2026 season, falling 34-10 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite the lopsided scoreline, Deshaun Watson focused on the positives from his individual performance.

Watson completed 20 of 29 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown. He also threw one interception, while Cleveland struggled to consistently create scoring opportunities inside the red zone.

“Finding completions, operating well. I mean that's pretty much it. Had one turnover, a couple, that one sack fumble, obviously got to protect the ball, but we recovered it. Yeah, that's pretty much it, for real.”

Watson also pointed to his completion rate as evidence of some encouraging signs. He finished with only six incompletions, including the interception, a throwaway and a tipped pass, while acknowledging a couple of missed throws.

The Browns quarterback ultimately believes the bigger problem was the lack of opportunities to put points on the board. Cleveland’s offense repeatedly stalled, leaving the team unable to keep pace with Jacksonville.

Todd Monken Plans to Give Deshaun Watson a Long Leash

Despite the disappointing opener, Watson could have considerable time to turn things around. Reports from Cleveland’s training camp indicated that Todd Monken planned to give the quarterback a long leash.

That means Watson may remain under center well into the season, even if his performances continue to generate criticism. Monken previously made clear that the coaching staff, rather than the players or fans, will determine who gives Cleveland the best chance to win.

With Shedeur Sanders also waiting for his opportunity, the pressure surrounding Watson will only grow. Still, Monken appears prepared to give his veteran quarterback time to prove that Week 1 was not representative of what he can produce.

Written by

Joseph Nithin