Browns face the reality about Deshaun Watson and do what is..

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Browns are 4-2 with a playoff caliber defense.

They also have a quarterback who is really hurt. Anyone who watched Deshaun Wartson could see he had very little arm strength last Sunday.

Watson dismissed that comment by saying he only threw five passes before leaving what turned out to be a 39-38 Browns victory over the Colts.

But those five passes were short. He didn’t look confident throwing the ball. He looked like a guy who had something wrong with his arm. In Watson’s case, it’s some type of rotator cuff injury. Different medical terms have been attached to it.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Browns are 4-2 with a playoff caliber defense.

They also have a quarterback who is really hurt. Anyone who watched Deshaun Wartson could see he had very little arm strength last Sunday.

Watson dismissed that comment by saying he only threw five passes before leaving what turned out to be a 39-38 Browns victory over the Colts.

The fact is Watson could throw reasonably well warming up. But when he was under the pressure of a pass rush and having to make an off-balanced pass from different angles, he had little zip on the ball.

Any type of rotator cuff injury robs the arm of strength. That’s just a fact. Even if there is no need for surgery, it takes time to rebuild that strength. That’s also a fact.

And that’s Watson’s situation.

MORE CLEVELAND BROWNS COVERAGE

The advanced stat that Deshaun Watson could improve to get back on track when healthy: NFL quarterback power rankings after Week 7
The Browns can’t keep counting on P.J. Walker’s subpar offense to deliver unlikely wins: Jimmy Watkins
Browns could likely pry Jacoby Brissett away from the Commanders before the trade deadline, and they should try: Mary Kay Cabot
Watson out. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

TIME TO FACE REALITY

He’s not ready. He hasn’t been ready to play since injuring his shoulder on September 24 in the Browns 27-3 victory over Tennessee. That was a month ago.

Then we went into “day-to-day” land. The Browns and Watson seemed to think he’d play the week after the Tennessee game even though he didn’t practice. That was a bad idea, and Watson was pulled from the lineup 2 1/2 hours before what became a 28-3 loss to Baltimore.

Watson took the field in Indianapolis. He looked shaky as he completed 1 of 5 passes for 5 yards. He had one interception and nearly threw a second interception. Both throws were short.

Then Watson was slammed to the turf, banging his head and shoulder. Even though he was cleared of a concussion and supposedly OK to play, Coach Kevin Stefanski wisely kept him on the bench.

Stefanski gave a far more realistic update of Watson’s condition Wednesday, explaining P.J. Walker will start Sunday in Seattle.

“I just feel with what happened in the game landing on his shoulder, there’s residual swelling that’s affecting his throwing,” said the coach. “I think it’s the best thing for him to rest this week and focus on the rehab. And as I’ve told you guys, I will always make what I think are the best decisions for our football team, for Deshaun, and I feel like this is the best decision for this week.”

The Browns have won both games he’s played. But he’s committed four turnovers, throwing zero TD passes. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

WHAT BROWNS NEED TO DO

I started with the Browns being 4-2.

I mentioned their playoff caliber defense

I watched the 39-38 victory over the Colts in person. Then I watched it again Tuesday night on tape. P.J. Walker has helped the team win the last two games in that he has been at QB.But the Browns have won those games with Walker throwing three interceptions compared to zero TD passes. He lost a fumble. He’s been on the edge of disaster with other plays.Having Walker at QB with this talented defense is like trying to win the Indianapolis 500 with bald tires. You know there soon will be a crash, a costly turnover.The common phrase you hear these days is, “It’s not sustainable.” That’s the Browns winning with Walker at QB

The Browns ranked 10th in the NFL in scoring in the 11 games started by Jacoby Brissett last season. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Browns fans are carpet-bombing me with emails about Jacoby Brissett. They want the former Brown back. The fans are right.

The Browns averaged 24 points a game and ranked 10th in the NFL in scoring in his 11 starts last season while Watson was suspended. He threw 12 TD passes compared to six interceptions. He completed 64% of his passes.

Brissett had the best season of his seven-year career with Stefanski. The reason the Browns were 4-7 in his starts was the lousy defense.

To be a playoff contender, the Browns need only reasonable QB play. Brissett is stuck on the Washington bench behind Sam Howell. He has about $2 million left on contract.

The Commanders are 3-4. They are looking to deal veterans by Tuesday’s trade deadline.

The Browns should not fall into the trap of thinking Watson will be back soon and perform well when he returns. If that happens, wonderful.

But I have doubts about a speedy recovery, given it’s been a month and he’s already shut down for Sunday’s game.

This remains a promising team that can compete for the postseason with decent QB play. Brissett can deliver that. Don’t waste the rest of this season with Walker while awaiting what comes next with Watson.