Monken Can Still Name Watson Starting Quarterback After Saturday

After Saturday's rain-soaked preseason game, the Cleveland Browns quarterback battle has become more than just a football decision. Going into the game it was believed that Deshaun Watson was the front runner unless something crazy happened in the game against Buffalo. Well, the Browns once again obliged. Sanders had a decent first half of play and Watson came in and struggled mightily in the third quarter, playing with and against third stringers. Watson was met with a chorus of boos from the hometown crowd that could be heard through the television. Both quarterbacks condemned the fans for the booing and Watson called it “personal” and “disrespectful”.

Watson offered little goodwill towards the fan and divided the line further with his postgame comments. Head Coach Todd Monken has not named a starting quarterback for the regular season. So how can Head Coach Todd Monken realistically name Watson the starter and risk alienating the Browns fans base?

Luckily, the Browns have some time before Cleveland fans and Watson collide. They play on Thursday night at home, but Sanders and Watson are both not expected to play. The Browns do not play at home again until September 23. With the first two games on the road, Monken could still tap Watson to start the season. This would allow the veteran to demonstrate how Monken wants to get through the prep for the week leading up to Sunday. Should the Browns go 1-1 or 2-0 (which could include a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield) on the road then they will have a good vibe coming back for the home opener against Carolina.

If Watson can play well in the first two games, the fans may be more forgiving at home. Should Watson fall flat on his face and the Browns offense looks bad with going 0-2, which is a likely scenario, then the Browns can hand the reins to Sanders for the first home game. Otherwise, each incompletion, or worse, interception,will be met with a symphony of boos.

This scenario would give Watson the chance to prove himself and justify him being a NFL starting quarterback. It also gives Watson enough time to play himself into the backup role, while avoiding the confrontation with Browns fans. With Sanders taking over in week three through the rest of the season, it will provide enough game tape for the Browns to decide on which direction to move at quarterback for the 2027 season.

Players use the hometown crowd to affect the game. Peyton Manning would wave his arms to quiet down the crowd so the entire offense could hear the play calls and checks. Imagine Watson trying to quiet Huntington Bank Field? How would it affect the rest of the offense? There are a bunch of young players on this team and they do not need a distraction like getting booed at home because of who is under center. Especially if that quarterback is not performing well.

Whether booing your own players is right or wrong, there is no doubt that Browns fans are tired of the Watson experiment as it has been four years of bad offensive football. The Browns gave up three first-round picks and guaranteed the most money ever for Watson and the fans just want to move on. The Browns could take the opportunity to see if Watson has any talent left in the first two games on the road and if not, then bench him before the inevitable palpable tension for the home opener. In normal circumstances, the fans should not be any kind factor in deciding the roster. However, in this case it is clear that Browns fans do not want Watson and Watson does not want them.

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