Not long ago, before Jayden Daniels burst onto the scene and became the talk of the NFL, facing the Cleveland Browns would have been considered something of a measuring stick for Washington.
This weekend, it’s the other way around.
While Daniels and the Commanders are rolling along on a three-game winning streak, Deshaun Watson and the Browns have lost two in a row and go into their matchup at Washington on Sunday looking to get their season back on the rails.
“Can be huge, especially a road win with a hot team like the Commanders,” Watson said. “Go out there and just play free and try to get a ‘W,’ and get a ‘W’ on the road against a very good Commanders team, then that can really start something and we can build off that confidence and that momentum.”
There is almost nothing but confidence and momentum around Daniels, the rookie quarterback who has completed 82.1% of his passes — the highest rate of anyone through the first four games of a season — and ran for 218 yards and four touchdowns. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 pick out of LSU is now the heavy favorite to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, and his jersey is the top seller in the league.
Daniels brushed off the attention, acknowledging he notices it but adding “none of that matters.”
“You’re only as good as the last game you played,” Daniels said, calling the start of his pro career eventful with room to grow. “Keep improving. Finding little ways to keep growing. I wouldn’t say (my game is) a finished product, but it’s just a start.”
Watson has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in each of the first four games this season, the longest stretch of his career not reaching that mark. He and coach Kevin Stefanski downplayed the importance of that stat, but the truth is Cleveland at 1-3 needs more out of its offense, which has scored the fifth-fewest points in the league.
“Obviously, we want to win games, we want to score points, and oftentimes that comes with yards in the run and the pass game,” Stefanski said. “We do want to be more efficient and more explosive, for sure.”
Positive sign
Watson sees progress. He still has his doubters.
Although the veteran QB played better last week in a loss at Las Vegas, and his numbers improved, the Browns still lost and Watson took some heat for taking a sack on Cleveland’s final play.
It was only Watson’s fourth game since undergoing shoulder surgery in November. He has only played in 16 games since the end of the 2020 season. Plus, he’s adjusting to a new offensive scheme and playing behind a patchwork offensive line because of injuries.
“Every week is a step forward, so the more I’m out there, the better I’m going to get and the better I’ll be and more confident I’ll be,” Watson said. “Just being able to see things, just being able to operate, just playing football — that’s the biggest thing. Just playing football, getting active, acclimated to the speed of the game and how people are going to defend us and try to defend me. Week by week, I plan to continue to have that arrow pointing up and going in the right direction that I want it to go.”
Commanders D questions
Holding Kyler Murray and the Cardinals to 14 points and 296 yards last week in a rout at Arizona was a major step forward for Washington’s defense, which was one of the worst in the NFL early this season.
Watson and the Browns offense, especially with tight end David Njoku potentially back in the mix, will be another major test for a unit almost totally rebuilt by new general manager Adam Peters.
“I think we all know Deshaun’s ability to get outside the pocket and convert and create in that way,” coach Dan Quinn said. “Any time a player is a dual threat of runs and passes and can convert throwing it or with their legs, that’s a big deal. They’ve got a number of weapons on their offense, and so not just directed to him, but each game plan is a little bit different.”
Ground game
The Browns tackled their tackling issue this week.
Cleveland’s inability to bring down ball carriers a week ago contributed to the Las Vegas Raiders rushing for 152 yards — 101 more than their average coming in. They averaged 5.2 yards a carry.
There were opportunities to get off the field, and the Browns let them slip away by not stopping runners and receivers at the point of attack.
“We’ve got to make sure that we’re finishing tackles,” Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward said. “I know for myself, I’ve to wrap up and just get guys down to the ground. Finish the play.”
Ward will have his hands full in another way as he’ll likely be matched up with Terry McLaurin, the Commanders’ top receiver and a teammate of his at Ohio State. Stefanski called McLaurin “quarterback friendly” — a description Ward thought was spot on.
“He’s always going to be where he’s supposed to be,” Ward said. “A great receiver, good routes, fast guy, and he’s just somebody that’s accountable, somebody that you could count on.”
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AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed.
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