The Cleveland Browns have lofty expectations entering the season for multiple reasons. Most importantly, after trading three first-round picks and more for Deshaun Watson in 2022, the Browns were expected to be Super Bowl contenders.
Heading into Watson’s third season in Cleveland, the Browns won’t meet those expectations again despite a “stingy defense,” according to Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton, who predicted the Browns would finish last in the AFC North with an 8-9 record.
“Deshaun Watson’s production will determine whether Cleveland remains in the playoff picture or finishes with a sub-.500 record,” Moton wrote on August 15. “In 14 games with the Browns, he’s thrown for 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions with a 59.8 percent completion rate. The Browns’ stingy defense should keep them in games.
“On the flip side, running back Nick Chubb doesn’t have a timetable for return, and Joe Flacco isn’t there to bail the offense out if Watson struggles or is unavailable down the stretch,” he wrote.
Watson’s availability has been an issue in first two years thanks to injuries and a suspension. The Browns made the playoffs last season after they signed Joe Flacco when Watson went down with a season-ending injury, and he carried the team to four straight wins and a playoff berth.
When Will Nick Chubb Return?
Chubb is an important piece of the Browns’ offense. When healthy, he’s arguably the best running back in the NFL. In 2022, he finished with 302 attempts for 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns.
However, after going down with another knee injury, there are question marks about Chubb. He’s continued to progress well, and there’s a chance he’ll be on the field early in the year, but he’ll have to prove that he’s still capable of 1,500-plus-yard seasons.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com offered a positive update on Chubb on an August 1 appearance on the “Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima.”
“The way you see him run and cut, it looks like he can do football activities pretty soon,” Cabot said. “I think at some point during this camp, he will be activated and available for one of those first three games.”
Cabot added that it’s uncertain when he’ll return but that he looks good physically.
“Whenever I see him do something great — like squat 540 pounds or run sprints in front of Jimmy Haslam — I think it’s getting close and then they pump the brakes,” Cabot said. “I don’t have a great handle on when he will be back but he looks good physically. That bodes well for the near future.”
The Browns Will Only Be as Good as Watson
The pressure only grew for Watson and the Browns after what Flacco did last year. Flacco proved that the rest of the team is talented enough to win if the quarterback play is above average, which will be what Watson needs to show.
A lot has changed over the past few seasons, but Watson threw for 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Watson has proved in his career that he’s more than capable of finding success.
The Browns will need that for Moton’s prediction not to come true.
Jon Conahan covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Since 2019, his sports coverage has appeared at Sports Illustrated, oddschecker, ClutchPoints and Sportskeeda. More about Jon Conahan
