There’s no way around it. The Cleveland Browns are the laughingstock of the NFL. And that’s really saying something when you play in the same league as the Carolina Panthers.
You have to feel bad for Kevin Stefanski. He’s proven to be an elite head coach, but there’s not a coach dead or alive who wouldn’t struggle with the circumstances the Browns currently face.
Of course, I’m referring to the nightmare Deshaun Watson situation.
Cleveland’s trade for Watson is widely recognized as the worst in sports history. Adding insult to injury, the ensuing contract extension the Browns gave Watson is also recognized as the worst in sports history.
That’s a pretty tough 0-2 to deal with.
Stefanski was criticized heavily when he reaffirmed this week that Watson will remain the starting quarterback and claimed there’s no consideration to bench him.
Most people think that deep-down there’s nothing Stefanski would love more than to bench Watson. However, Jimmy Haslam is making sure that doesn’t happen due to the outrageous financial investment he has in the troubled quarterback.
Regardless, the calls to bench Watson will only intensify as his performance seems to get worse and worse by the week.
You can count Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner as one respected figure who has clearly seen enough of Watson.
“If I was running the Browns, I would make a change at the quarterback position,” Warner stated in an interview with ESPN’s Kevin Clark. “I understand all the developments there and the money that you owe Deshaun Watson and what you gave up for him … You just can’t win with him right now.”
Warner, who closely analyzes NFL quarterbacks weekly, noted significant red flags in Watson’s game after reviewing film from Week 1’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
“I pulled 20 plays, and I could have pulled another 10 plays, so you’re talking 25-30 plays in a game where I just can’t make sense of what he’s doing,” Warner remarked. “He’ll be looking right at his first read and not throwing it, and the guy’s open.”
The Hall of Famer also highlighted concerning comments from Watson regarding the coaching strategies for progressing through basic routes, which further exemplifies the disconnect.
“I don’t know who he is right now,” Warner said, expressing skepticism about Watson’s potential moving forward. “What I know is, this Cleveland Browns team is not nearly as bad as they’re playing right now.
“They’ve got a defense that can win, and they’re not going to win with quarterback play like this. And it’s been consistently like this for a long time.”
What are your thoughts on Warner’s comments?
Do you agree that the Browns should just bite the bullet and bench Watson?
In the bigger picture, are you one of the many who think that the Watson trade and contract are the worst in sports history???