Cleveland Browns’ fans should fully expect Deshaun Watson to struggle this season

The Cleveland Browns are getting Deshaun Watson back but he won’t be the savior many had hoped for.

Deshaun Watson will make his official Cleveland Browns debut on Sunday against his former team, the Houston Texans. It’s a move that many hope will keep the season alive for the Browns, and help deliver the Browns to the playoffs. Many think the team was playing well below their capabilities with Jacoby Brissett in at quarterback during Watson’s suspension, and that Watson’s arrival will be the team’s “final form” if you will.

Fans should brace themselves for a major disappointment, as that isn’t likely to be the case this season.

Now, before we go on, keep in mind, I don’t like Watson as a person. I make no excuses for that. I think the league gave him a slap on the wrist and that all parties involved should be ashamed of themselves for allowing him to play ball ever again.

That said, I can in fact dislike a person and still cover them objectively. So, when I say expect Watson to struggle, that isn’t me sitting here hoping for his downfall. It’s an admission that the man has been gone for two full years (just about), and will be returning in an emotionally charged matchup against a team he feels did wrong by him. Not only that, his accusers will be in attendance, to further remind the embattled quarterback of his crimes.

Crimes, that an independent NFL arbitrator has ruled happened.

Emotions and inactivity are a bad combination.

Fans of the Cleveland Browns need to temper their expectations

Watson comes into the game against Houston having had three straight back-to-back Pro Bowls from 2018-2020. He was on a historic tear offensively as a passer, and if it wasn’t for a torn ACL in his rookie campaign, may have been four for four in Pro Bowl appearances.

The pedigree and past performances are there. That said, a lot of his game is based on his mobility and athleticism, and he’s already had two torn ACLs in his life. So now you’re throwing in a player with suspect knees into a situation where he’s not seen live-game action in nearly two full years, and you’re expecting him to just adapt on the fly?

Not to mention, he’s not exactly known to play well in Cleveland. Granted of his three encounters with Cleveland, only one has been at the Browns stadium, so we’re not exactly looking at a huge sample size but still, not exactly a ringing endorsement.

I expect him to need time to readjust to the speed of the game after being out for so long. It may take several weeks for his throws to look crisp again, and for his accuracy to return. If his preseason appearances were any indication, Watson is not at his peak. Or at the very least wasn’t when we saw him this summer.

It’s very likely that Watson plays very mediocrely this season, and fans should expect that. As a player, there is hope that he’ll rebound into what he was in Houston, but that expectation will take time. It’s a rather unique situation where a quarterback misses nearly two full seasons of action and then returns to play.

I can’t think of the last time that’s ever happened off the top of my head, so we’re heading into uncharted waters or at the very least, very rare circumstances. There aren’t a lot of past examples to draw from when formatting an expectation for Watson’s return.

Fans should embrace all possibilities, even the one where Watson may fall off a bit. It’s happened to others, so it’s very possible it happens to Watson too. Maybe Watson comes out and throws 20 touchdowns over the last six weeks, and leads the Browns to the playoffs.

Who knows? We’ll see how ready he is come Sunday.