Browns Plainly Podcast

John Kosko of PFF joines the Locked On Browns Podcast to give grades for the Browns offense and defense against the Houston Texans. Kosko also breaks down the play of Browns QB Deshaun Watson in leading the Browns to a 27-14 victory over the Houston Texans. We discuss Deshaun Watson's performance, including his obvious rust in his first game back under center. We also give our thoughts on the Cleveland Brown's defense and special teams that came up big in the victory over the Texans.

Deshaun Watson struggled in a sloppy performance in his first game in 700 days but a punt return for a touchdown by Donovan Peoples-Jones and two defensive TDs were plenty enough to give the Cleveland Browns a 27-14 win over the lowly Houston Texans on Sunday. In the same stadium where he played his previous game, a rusty Watson threw for 131 yards with an interception in his debut for the Browns (5-7) against his former team in his return after serving an 11-game NFL suspension for sexual misconduct allegations. Plenty of fans attended the game wearing Watson’s No. 4 jersey from both the Texans (1-10-1) and the Browns, but there were also detractors with loud boos raining down on him every time he touched the ball.

The Browns trailed 5-0 early but a 76-yard punt return by Peoples-Jones put them on top in the second quarter and Denzel Ward’s 4-yard fumble return for a score pushed the lead to 14-5 early in the third quarter. Cleveland didn’t score on offense until a 43-yard field goal made it 17-8 with about 10 minutes remaining. The Browns added a second defensive score when Tony Fields intercepted Kyle Allen and returned it 16 yards on the next play.

Allen had a terrible day in his second start since Davis Mills was benched. He threw for 201 yards with a fumble that was returned for a touchdown and two interceptions, the second of which was returned for a score, as Houston’s skid stretched seven games.

#Browns #Texans #NFL #ClevelandBrowns #DeshaunWatson

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It's Bengals Week Part 2. The Browns travel to Cincinnati looking to sweep the Bengals yet again while Cincinnati will try to keep its momentum going after beating the Chiefs.

We start off Wednesday's pod with Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe offering up what they're thinking to start the week about Deshaun Watson and some friendly(ish) banter between the two teams.

Then Lance Reisland joins Dan to look back on the win over the Texans and discuss what the offense can do to make Watson more comfortable.

Lastly, it's the latest edition of the NFL Playoff Committee of 1.

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Music credit:

Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

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The Cleveland Browns beat the Houston Texans on Sunday in the return of quarterback Deshaun Watson. Yes Watson looked rusty and it's because some football things can not be replicated in practice or training sessions. Those things will improve in the upcoming weeks. Sione Takitaki going down is a big blow for the Browns and for Taki himself with free agency looming. Tony Fields had a very impressive day and will see a ton of playing time over the final five games. Donovan Peoples Jones continues his impressive third season and is adding more to his repertoire. Perrion Winfrey and Alex Wright are getting more reps and are players who are improving as we get to the final weeks of the regular season. #Browns #DeshaunWatson

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The Browns passing game left a lot to be desired on Sunday when Deshaun Watson played his first game in 700 days. He struggled with his timing and his accuracy and the Browns relied on the defense and special teams to score for them.

This week brings a big matchup with the Bengals. Will Watson and the Browns get their issues figured out in time to head to Cincinnati and get a win? Did how rusty Watson looked surprsie the Browns?

Mary Kay answers those questions and more on our Tuesday Orange and Brown Talk Podcast.

They also discuss the Panthers releasing Baker Mayfield, the play of linebacker Tony Fields II and more.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/LA/MI/NJ/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).

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Music credit:

Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

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The Browns beat the Texans on Sunday, 27-14, but it certainly didn't feel like a game to get excited about. We break it down on our Orange and Brown Talk postgame podcast.

Mary Kay Cabot joins Dan Labbe to talk about what she saw from Deshaun Watson in his return to Houston to face his hold team. Why did he look so rusty? How concerned should the Browns be? Is the defense fixed?

Then Ashley Bastock and Irie Harris join the show to talk about what they would tell Deshaun Watson this week if they were Kevin Stefanski. They also discuss the performance of the defense and what to take away from it. Then Ashley tells us what the atmosphere was like in Houston.

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Music credit:

Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

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Deshaun Watson finally made his debut for the Cleveland Browns.

It was a long time coming for the former Houston Texans quarterback, who made his first start for his new team against his old employer.

The first half of the game was ugly. The Browns' only points came on a 76-yard punt return touchdown from Donovan Peoples-Jones. Watson threw an interception and looked rusty. However, he did show signs of what makes him an elite quarterback by escaping the rush and finding open receivers on the outside. Nick Chubb got tackled in the end zone for a safety as well.

Defensively, the Browns continued to get gashed in the running game but held Kyle Allen in check in the air. Overall, the first half was as ugly as anything you've ever seen, as the Browns led 7-5 heading into break.

The second half was a similar story. The offensive stunk and the defense dominated.

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When he takes the field on Sunday, Watson will have gone 700 days since he last played in a regular-season game. (Expect to hear that number a lot on Sunday). Watson was a full participant in the offseason program, training camp, and has a full week of practice under his belt, but there is no way of knowing how much rust he has and how long it will take him to get into a rhythm.

One thing working in Watson and the Browns favor is that Houston’s defense is not good, so he should be able to get in enough throws to be comfortable enough going into the next two games, which are key division tilts against the Cincinnati Bengals (+2) Given how poorly Houston is against the run, a nice game plan that features just enough passes from Watson to get him in a groove combined with a proactive running game that reaches into Cleveland’s depth to keep Chubb fresh should be on order for Sunday.

It’s the Browns, there must be some cause for concern?: It really doesn’t matter who they play, the Browns defense struggles to keep anyone in check when they are running with the football. That could be a problem against Houston rookie running back Dameon Pierce, who has rushed for 788 yards on the season. However, Pierce is in a bit of a slump as he has gained a total of 16 rushing yards over the past two games.

Nothing puts a hop in a running back’s step quite like playing the Browns, so Cleveland will have to keep an eye on Pierce to make sure he does not rediscover the mojo that saw him rush for 670 yards during a seven-game stretch earlier this season.

A healthy secondary: Cleveland received some good news on Friday as cornerback Greg Newsome II is expected to play after missing two games with a concussion, and fellow cornerback Denzel Ward is also on schedule to play after dealing with a tight hamstring in practice.

That gives the Browns their top trio of Ward, Newsome and rookie Martin Emerson Jr. – who had himself quite a game last week against Tampa Bay – back on the field together with an opportunity to get in some work as they prepare for next week’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Game Notes

The Browns remain among the league leaders in rushing as they are No. 2 with 18 rushing touchdowns, No. 5 with 1,698 rushing yards, No. 5 with 101 rushing first downs and No. 3 with 56 runs of 10-plus yards.

Cleveland wide receiver Amari Cooper is tied for fourth in the league with seven receiving touchdowns.

Cleveland running back Nick Chubb is one rushing touchdown away from setting a career high with 13. Chubb is also 164 rushing yards away from becoming the fourth running back in franchise history to rush for at least 6,000 career yards.

Houston is minus-2 in turnovers the past three games and have lost the turnover battle in five of their past six losses.

Cleveland defense end Jadeveon Clowney , Houston’s No. 1 selection in the 2014 NFL Draft, will play against the Texans for the first time in Houston.

A Final Quote

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski on expectations for quarterback Deshaun Watson’s impact on the offense (quote via a team-provided transcript):

“For this football team, for Deshaun and for the offense, they need to focus on playing good football this week. The big picture of what that means and that type of thing, I don’t think our guys are worried about that. We have to worry about our preparation this week and make sure that we have a good plan for Houston. We are excited that Deshaun is able to play for us. We are excited that he is back out there. The guys have enjoyed, like we mentioned, back in the room the last few weeks. Having him out on the field will bring an element to our offense that is different, but how different I think remains to be seen.”

Those are just a few things to keep an eye on; now it is time to have your say. What are you looking for from the Browns in Sunday’s game against the Texans?

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In this video, Cleveland Browns Legend and Future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas talks about the impact Deshaun Watson will have on the Cleveland Browns. Joe has been around long enough to know the importance of a good quarterback, and he's impressed with Watson's abilities thus far. Deshaun Watson will return to the Cleveland Browns lineup on Sunday after serving an 11-game suspension, and head coach Kevin Stefanski is confident that the embattled quarterback "will be ready to roll" against his former team.

Stefanski fielded a number of questions about Watson’s ability to perform and connect with the team after the NFL reinstated him on Monday following a lengthy suspension over allegations of sexual misconduct made by more than two dozen women.

"As you know, we had Deshaun in the building for three weeks but not out on the field with us and then the last couple of weeks out on the field. Next step is obviously being out there taking all of the first team reps," Stefanski said. "He has been doing a nice job getting the defense ready with the scout team reps that he has gotten. I think he has done a nice job with his time away physically, staying sharp and mentally staying sharp so I think he will be ready to roll."

Watson will make his debut for the Browns against the Houston Texans on Sunday after signing a massive five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract in March. He last played on Jan. 3, 2020, but despite his significant time away, Stefanski was adamant that Watson would be ready to go.

"I have confidence in Deshaun based on his preparation. Really, the focus is on him just doing his job. We are still going to be all about the team effort and still offense, defense and special teams. This is never ever going to be about one person. As it relates to Deshaun, I believe in his preparation. I believe that he has worked really hard on a bunch of things to be ready to go."

"I certainly get it but can’t really control that," Stefanski said of the concern about Watson’s time away from the field.

"For me, for Deshaun and for all of our players, just have to keep the focus on doing our job. Think about there are some guys who don’t play preseason football, and they get in there Week 1 and need to get tackled the first time before they are ready to go. I think some of those things may be true, but I don’t want to put anything on Deshaun that I think is unfair for me to say at this point. We don’t know."

Watson was accused of being sexually inappropriate with the women during massage therapy sessions while playing in Houston. He was not indicted on criminal charges by two grand juries and reached financial settlements in 23 of 24 civil lawsuits.

#browns #clevelandbrowns #BrownsNews #DeshaunWatson #nfl

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The Browns will have a new starting quarterback on Sunday as Deshaun Watson takes the field for the first time for his new team going against his old team, the Houston Texans.

We're foregoing our normal game preview pod this week to talk all things Watson as this moment arrives. Ashley Bastock, Doug Lesmerises, Irie Harris and Dan Labbe dig into Watson and what the future holds for his time with the Browns.

Do they have to win a Super Bowl to make this trade a success? Which players will benefit most from Watson's return? What will the Browns record be over these six games with Watson?

Lance Reisland also joins the show to break down what this offense will look like with Watson.

Then our crew makes their picks for Sunday's game.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/LA/MI/NJ/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).

Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up.

Music credit:

Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

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Jackson and Anthony discuss Deshaun Watson's return to the Browns, their expectations for the quarterback, and how the offense will perform with him under center before they preview the upcoming matchup against the Houston Texans.

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