After an offseason that was mired by a lot of controversy, Deshaun Watson finally made his debut for his new team, the Cleveland Browns, on Friday night. The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback, however, had an uneventfully forgettable outing against the Carolina Panthers, and it wasn't exactly what Browns fans were hoping for from their new star QB.
Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski has now spoken out about Watson's first game for the Browns, which saw the former No. 12 overall pick complete just one out of his five passes for a measly seven yards. What is clear is that the 40-year-old shot-caller isn't putting too much stock into it (h/t Mike Florio of PFT):
“I think he probably wants some throws back,” Stefanski said. “Obviously, playing football for the first time in a while, I thought it was important to get out there with his teammates in this scheme, just hearing a different voice in the helmet, those type of things. I’m sure he had the butterflies and the jitters early. But I think he understands there’s work to do.”
Despite the fact that Stefanski played down Watson's unremarkable debut, the Browns coach also stated that he expects to see more from the embattled quarterback. Stefanski, however, also said that he doesn't believe Watson's issues off the field have affected his gameplay.
“I think this was important for him to get out there in a game setting, under the lights, with new teammates and go operate,” Stefanski said. “It wasn’t going to be perfect. And even if it was perfect, you can’t overreact to that either. So I just think it was all part of the progression for him.”
All eyes will be on Deshaun Watson this season as he tries to put his sexual misconduct case behind him. It won't be easy by any means, but a strong start to the season for the Browns will definitely be a step toward the right direction.