Analyst Claims Cleveland Browns’ Time in the Spotlight is Over
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One leading analyst recently said that the Browns will regret trading Baker Mayfield and that Deshaun Watson could cause them problems.
If you weren’t aware, former quarterback Baker Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a 2024 fourth- or fifth-round pick. Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson, a former Houston Texans Star, was awarded a contract worth $230 million while also being hit with 22 sexual misconduct lawsuits from his massage therapists. What does this mean for the Browns? How will it play out in the 2022 season? Will the fans turn a blind eye to Watson’s allegations?
Over a 17-month period, Watson had 66 massages from different women, and the women accusing him of sexual misconduct are anything but quiet. In fact, one Houston-area woman’s court filing openly called a massage session with Watson in 2020 another episode of “disgusting and abhorrent conduct.” The 22 allegations later increased to 24, and it doesn’t look good for Watson or the Browns.
Fox Sports Analyst, Emmanuel Acho, said “Deshaun Watson is a phenomenal quarterback. But boy, is he in some hot water! He got some civil cases that are outstanding. Some civil cases that are pending, so the Browns likely will not have a starting quarterback this season.”
Acho believes that 2022 will be a humbling experience for the Browns. They have come a long way during the past four years and now their quarterback is being accused of sexual misconduct, thus setting him back as a professional football player and smearing the reputation of the Cleveland Browns at the same time.
Other pundits tend to agree with Acho about the Browns’ chances, and they’re not among the favorites at either end of the spectrum. The Browns are currently ranked in the middle of the pack in the current Ladbrokes NFL odds, with pundits unsure whether they will succeed or fail. Watson could be the key to success, based on his past performances. In 2020, he pushed his game up a notch and threw a total of 4,823 yards and 33 touchdowns, and he also completed 70.2% of his passes plus he had a 112 passer rating. Pro Football Focus (PFF) called Watson NFL’s best quarterback in 2020.
Watson is arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, along with quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Tua Tagovailoa. But even amazing athletes are not above the law as Watson faces a possible suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. The latest news is that he settled 20 of the 24 lawsuits, which puts him a step closer to going back to playing NFL games. However, there are rumors that the NFL is seeking a full-season suspension against him.
Looking back at the 2021 season, the Browns entered their final two games with a 7-8 record. They finished with an 8-9, which didn’t improve upon their 11-5 record in 2020. They ended the season with a four-game losing streak that eliminated them from playoff contention, which was nothing short of a disappointment.
The entire ordeal has brought about frustration on so many levels for Watson, the players, and fans. But the affair goes beyond lawsuits and suspensions. There is no denying the fact that negative news also impacts public perception. Comparing the Browns’ odds since they drafted Watson, they have fallen from an 18-to-1 to win the Super Bowl to 25-to-1.
It looks like the 2022 season for the Browns is going to be a really tough one. The numbers speak for themselves and perhaps Acho is right, the Browns’ time in the spotlight might just be about over.
