3 Reasons why Browns will go undefeated when Deshaun Watson returns from his suspension
Roger Goodell's mouth was agape when he was initially informed that Deshaun Watson's recommended suspension stood at a paltry six games. Vehemently stepping in and making his judgment, Goodell has recently upped Watson's suspension considerably.
Watson has reluctantly accepted his 11-game ban and $5 million fine. Until he returns, the Cleveland Browns will likely look to perennial backup signal-caller Jacoby Brissett. With him, Cleveland expect to flounder. However, once Watson returns from his lengthy absence, we predict they'll take off like a rocket.
While we can't predict what record they'll put together in those 11 games, we believe that with Watson back in the mix, they'll reel off six consecutive victories and finish up strong.
Read along as we dive into the reasoning behind our bold prediction.
#1 - Weak schedule
It was as if NFL schedule makers knew that Deshaun Watson was set to miss the first 11 games of the season. During that stretch, Cleveland will have weekly battles as the Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, and Buffalo Bills are littered up and down their schedule.
Ultimately, Bresset, their transient 11-game starter, has performed decently throughout his NFL career. Still, if the perennial backup holds firm and leads Cleveland to a few solid victories, the back half of their schedule appears to be far less daunting.
In either a bit of irony or to boost their NFL ratings, Watson will return to the field in Week 13 against his former team, the Houston Texans. The rest of Cleveland's schedule reads as follows: the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Admittedly, a few tricky teams remain on their schedule. However, the vast majority contains playoff no-hopers. As long as Watson can get rid of the rust quickly, Cleveland should be able to run the table.
#2 - Plenty of offensive power
Even as Cleveland struggled to an 8-9 season last year, and despite the perpetual drama surrounding their now-former quarterback, Baker Mayfield, Cleveland have a considerable amount of offensive firepower on their roster.
In addition to the high-flying pass-catching ability of newly acquired receiver Amari Cooper, Cleveland have arguably the best running back duo in the entire NFL.
Kareem Hunt, a former Pro Bowler and Offensive Rookie of the Year winner struggled with injuries in 2021, resulting in just 386 rushing yards. Nevertheless, in 16 healthy games the season prior, Hunt rushed for 841 yards. His speedy teammate, Nick Chubb, tormented opposing defenses, rushing for 1,259 yards and eight touchdown scores.
With so much high-level production on the more glamorous side of the ball, once Watson returns from his 11-game suspension, he'll have plenty of help and should cruise to a perfect record to close out the season.
#3 - The defense should be humming
On paper, the Cleveland Browns should hold a defense that ranks higher than just 20th overall, a mark they finished with just last season. However, Cleveland struggled to get stops consistently despite the likes of Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward, who were named to last season's Pro Bowl.
In fairness, Cleveland's offensive woes trickled down to the defensive side of the ball. On countless occasions, Baker Mayfield routinely gave the ball away, placing his vaunted defense in compromising situations. Additionally, Jadeveon Clowney, their 2021 new free agent signing, played arguably the best ball of his largely disappointing career, racking up nine sacks and 37 total tackles.
If Watson can simply play his game without giving the ball away, Cleveland's defense could make the life of opposing offenses a living hell.