Deshaun Watson's first NFL game in more than 700 days was hardly a thing of beauty, but it resulted in a 27-14 victory for the Cleveland Browns over the Houston Texans, and Watson will remain in the lineup in Week 14 when the Browns take on the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters after the game that the team remained committed to keeping Watson in the lineup “going forward.” While he did not specify how many games that would entail, it was a vote of confidence.
Watson was competing in his former home stadium, and was clearly rusty. He threw for 131 yards and also tossed an interception in his first game with the Browns. Watson was returning to action after serving an 11-game NFL-imposed suspension for sexual misconduct allegations.
In addition to completing 12 of 22 passes he also ran 7 times for 21 yards. While Watson failed to light things up for the Browns, neither did Houston quarterback Kyle Allen. He completed 20 of 39 passes for 201 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Deshaun Watson had a 53.4 passer rating while Allen's rating was 53.5.
The Browns were able to seize control of the game after Donovan Peoples-Jones returned a punt 76 yards for a score in the second quarter, and Denzel Ward followed with a 4-yard fumble return for a score in the third.
Watson's last game in the NFL was a 41-38 defeat to the Tennessee Titans while playing for the Texans in January, 2021.
While there were a number of fans wearing Watson's No. 4 jersey from both the Texans and the Browns, he was also hit with a torrent of boos every time he stepped on the field.
Follow Us
Subscribe