After long layoff, Watson rusty in Browns’ debut
Deshaun Watson didn't play well Sunday in his debut for Cleveland after sitting out almost two years.
Cleveland’s defense and special teams ensured the Browns (5-7) got the win despite his struggles.
The quarterback turned 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 enough to give the Browns a 27-14 win over the Houston Texans (1-10-1), Watson’s former team.
He threw for 131 yards with an interception in his return from an 11-game NFL suspension for sexual misconduct allegations.
“It’s not going to be perfect, especially playing December football and it’s Week 1 for me,” Watson
said. "It was fun, though. It was awesome to be out there with my teammates.”
Many fans attended the game wearing Watson’s No. 4 jersey from both the Texans and the Browns, but there were also detractors with loud boos raining down on him every time he touched the ball.
“They’re supposed to boo,” said Watson, once a fan favorite in Houston. "I’m a Cleveland Brown now.”
The Browns trailed 5-0 early, but a 76-yard punt return by Peoples-Jones put them on top in the second quarter. Denzel Ward’s 4-yard fumble return for a score pushed the lead to 14-5 early in the third quarter.
“He’s human," Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski said of Watson. "Coming back here, first game in a while, his teammates had his back.”
It was Watson’s first start since Jan. 3, 2021, when he threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns for Houston in a 41-38 loss to Tennessee.
Soon after that, he became unhappy with the direction of the team and requested a trade. Then, two dozen women accused him of sexual harassment or assault during massage therapy sessions.
He remained on Houston’s roster last year, but sat out all season before being traded to the Browns in March.
Watson agreed to the suspension and a $5 million fine. The NFL also ordered him to undergo professional counseling and therapy.