Monken noncommittal on Watson, calls it 'unfair' to blame loss on QB — SkimNews
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- Todd Monken sidestepped questions about whether Deshaun Watson would remain the Browns' starter after a 34-10 loss in Jacksonville, saying he hadn't reviewed the tape yet but would 'evaluate everything'.
- Deshaun Watson finished 16-of-22 for 205 yards, one touchdown, one interception and 38 rushing yards, with his interception thrown on Cleveland's opening possession by Jaguars linebacker Foye Oluokun.
- Cleveland trailed 24-0 at halftime — tying its worst halftime shutout in 35 years, per ESPN Research — and managed just five first downs on six first-half drives while going 0-for-4 on third down.
- Monken defended Watson directly, saying 'It wasn't all him. That's unfair,' and noted six accepted offensive penalties including two delay-of-game infractions as evidence the entire operation broke down.
- Watson was playing his first regular-season game in 693 days after Monken named him the starter on Aug. 24 over Shedeur Sanders following a preseason competition.
- Watson accepted blame at the podium, saying 'we didn't put points on the board' and vowing to 'attack Tampa Bay next week' to correct the offense.
- Jacksonville scored on its first four possessions of the first half, turning an early Watson interception into a 24-0 lead before Cleveland crossed the end zone.
Why it matters: Monken's refusal to name a starter — paired with Watson's 693-day layoff and a 24-0 first-half hole — keeps Cleveland's quarterback room unstable heading into Week 2 against Tampa Bay, with rookie Shedeur Sanders waiting in the wings after losing the August competition. The six pre-snap penalties and delay-of-game flags show the offensive problems extend well beyond Watson, which is exactly Monken's argument for patience.
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