After serving suspension, Watson back for Browns
Deshaun Watson won’t have a playbook for everything that lies ahead. The practices, meetings, film work, making handoffs, throwing passes for the Browns, all of that will be easy, second nature.
The rest: protesters, heightened scrutiny and pointed questions, will be unscripted.
Cleveland’s controversial, $230 million QB was officially reinstated Monday by the NFL after serving an 11game suspension for sexual misconduct allegations made by more than two dozen women.
Watson’s return wasn’t accompanied by any fanfare, simply a posting on the league’s personnel notice.
He’s poised to make his regularseason debut for the Browns Sunday, coincidentally, in Houston, where he began his pro career and quickly rose to stardom before off-field decisions knocked him off course.
The 27-year-old is coming back to the Browns (4-7), who are clinging to hope that he can lead them to the playoffs. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski believes Watson, who returned to practice two weeks ago, is ready for what will be his first game in 700 days .
“I have confidence in Deshaun based on his preparation and, really, the focus is on just him doing his job,” Stefanski said a day after the Browns rallied for a 23-17 overtime win against Tampa Bay. “We’re still gonna be all about the team effort, still offense, defense and special teams. So this is never, ever gonna be about one person.
In August, Watson ended months of legal entanglements by agreeing to the suspension, a $5 million fine and to undergo professional counseling and treatment after an independent arbitrator ruled he violated the league’s personal conduct policy.
Sideline spat latest sore spot for Wilson
ENGLEWOOD, COLO. » Whether or not there’s a fissure in the Broncos’ locker room, there certainly is frustration.
Russell Wilson and Mike Purcell were quick to dismiss their sideline spat as an emotional exchange between competitive personalities.
“Frustration,” Purcell said, was the root of his brief blowup with Wilson during the Broncos’ 23-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Purcell had just been flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty. As he retreated to the sideline, TV cameras captured him shouting at Wilson, who responded. Purcell spun around and starting shouting in Wilson’s face before walking away in a huff.
The Broncos’ beleaguered offense is averaging a league-low 14.2 points per game, negating a stingy defense allowing 17.6 per game.
The Broncos (3-8) have to win out to avoid a sixth straight losing season. A seventh consecutive season without a playoff berth is all but certain.
Harbaugh speaks with
Jackson about offensive tweet
Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said he spoke with Lamar Jackson Monday about the star quarterback’s profane postgame tweet directed at a fan a day earlier, saying the language Jackson used was out of character.
Jackson, meanwhile, insisted on Twitter that he did not intend to disrespect anyone’s sexual orientation.
After the Ravens lost 28-27 to Jacksonville, a fan suggested Baltimore let Jackson leave via free agency. Jackson responded — in a tweet later deleted — by saying the person “never smelt a football field” and using vulgar language that members of the gay community said was offensive.