Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson Was Actually Elite in Week 4

Deshaun Watson may have played his best game with the Cleveland Browns last week.

Sep 29, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) looks to make a pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns ended up falling in disappointing fashion in Week 4 on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders.

It was a game that it looked like the Browns should win. Unfortunately, due to a highly questionable penalty that called back an 82-yard touchdown and a couple of mistakes, they dropped to 1-3 on the season.

While the loss was brutal to take, there was a major positive. Watson may not be receiving a lot of credit for his final stat line, but he was actually elite.

His final stat line ended up being 24-for-32 for 176 yards, a touchdown, and an interception with 32 rushing yards. What he actually should have had for a stat line will blow your mind.

Due to the penalty and a horrible dropped pass from Amari Cooper that ended up being an interception, Watson was robbed of a massive performance.

If those two things hadn't happened, he would have completed 26 of his 33 pass attempts for 290 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions to go along with 32 yards on the ground.

Even though the outcome didn't feel like it, and the final box score didn't indicate it, Deshaun Watson had an excellent game for the #Browns on Sunday.

What his stat line was:
24-32 (75% CMP), 176 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT (32 rush yds)

What his stat line SHOULD have been:
26-33 (79%… pic.twitter.com/YieGozphGg

— The Dawgs - A Cleveland Browns Podcast (@thedawgspodcast) October 2, 2024

This was not a good week for Watson haters if you dig deeper into the game. He clearly was a huge reason why Cleveland was in the game with a chance to win.

Seeing him come through with that strong of a performance is a major positive for the Browns. It may not show up in the box score, but he was elite this week. The Week 4 matchup was arguably the best of his tenure in Cleveland.

Hopefully, that's the start of a positive trend for Watson. If he can get hot, the Browns have a chance to turn their season around.

Maybe, we'll end up seeing an end to the calls to replace Watson if he can replicate the way he played over the next few weeks.

It will be interesting to see what the next few games have in store for Watson. Cleveland has to figure out how to string some wins together.