Browns' decision on Watson is difficult due to circumstances but obvious to the eye test: Analysis

On Football analyzes nan biggest topics successful nan NFL from week to week. For much On Football analysis, caput here.

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Like Joe Flacco, Jameis Winston did what Deshaun Watson couldn’t do for nan Browns.

Watson’s absence again led to nan return of an effective passing attack.

Winston threw for 334 yards and 3 touchdowns, including nan go-ahead people pinch 59 seconds left, successful Cleveland’s 29-24 comeback win complete Baltimore connected Sunday.

Watson hasn’t thrown for 300 yards successful immoderate of his 19 starts pinch nan Browns. He didn’t moreover surpass 200 yards successful immoderate crippled this twelvemonth earlier a torn Achilles tendon ended his season.

Flacco had astatine slightest 300 yards passing successful 5 of his six starts for Cleveland past year, including nan playoffs.

Eventually, nan Browns (2-6) person to make a determination that's difficult owed to circumstances but evident to nan oculus test. The blockbuster waste and acquisition for Watson successful 2022 is among nan worst successful NFL history. Giving him an unprecedented, afloat guaranteed $230 million, five-year statement was moreover worse.

With Watson, nan Browns are 9-10. Without him, coach Kevin Stefanski is 30-26 wide and doubly has been named AP NFL Coach of nan Year. He was 11-5 pinch Baker Mayfield successful 2020 and went 4-1 down nan agelong pinch Flacco past season. There are 9 games remaining for Winston to beryllium what he tin do nether Stefanski.

Watson is owed $46 cardinal for each of nan adjacent 2 seasons. No squad would waste and acquisition for him, truthful nan Browns would person to chair him aliases trim him. Releasing Watson aft this play would costs nan squad $99.8 cardinal successful dormant headdress money, truthful that script is unlikely. Even waiting for June 1 won’t thief because they’d still suffer $46 million.

Unless Watson agrees to restructure his woody — there’s nary inducement for his representatives to do that — nan Browns are stuck pinch his statement and nan dream he yet regains nan Pro Bowl shape he displayed successful Houston earlier his ineligible troubles.

Maybe a spot connected nan chair could spark him adjacent play because thing other has worked.

The New York Jets (2-6) are 0-3 since Robert Saleh was fired and protect coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was elevated to interim coach.

Even worse, nan defense has regressed.

The Jets allowed 85 points successful nan first 5 games nether Saleh, an mean of 17 per game. They’ve fixed up 85 successful nan 3 without him, an mean of 28.3 per game.

The debased constituent came Sunday erstwhile New York’s defense couldn’t extremity New England’s woeful discourtesy — classed past successful nan NFL successful full yards — pinch nan crippled connected nan line. Jacoby Brissett drove nan Patriots 70 yards for a go-ahead touchdown successful nan last 3 minutes, sending nan Jets to their 5th consecutive loss.

“We talk astir being astatine our champion erstwhile our champion is required, and that was not it,” Ulbrich said. “That’s connected coaching, first of all, and past second, we’ve sewage to execute, and we did not execute successful captious moments. We opportunity that’s not who we are, but it’s who we are until we show otherwise.”

The Cowboys (3-4) can’t tally nan shot and can’t extremity different teams from doing it against them.

Dallas gave up 223 yards rushing successful a 30-24 nonaccomplishment astatine San Francisco and is tied pinch Carolina for past successful nan NFL against nan run, giving up 154.6 yards per game.

On offense, nan Cowboys are past successful rushing pinch conscionable 74.1 yards per game. Dalvin Cook made his play debut against nan 49ers and couldn’t spell anywhere. He had 12 yards connected six carries. Ezekiel Elliott sewage 34 yards connected 10 runs and is averaging conscionable 3.1 yards per transportation this season. Rico Dowdle, who leads nan squad pinch 246 yards rushing and 4.2 yards per carry, was inactive because of an illness.

Owner Jerry Jones has defended nan team’s determination not to prosecute Derrick Henry, who wanted to play for nan Cowboys and is having an fantabulous play pinch Baltimore.

The offense’s inability to tally nan shot efficaciously has made it tougher connected Dak Prescott because defenses attraction connected stopping nan passing attack. Prescott has thrown 2 interceptions successful each of nan past 3 games, a motion that he’s putting unit connected himself to transportation nan discourtesy and is forcing immoderate throws.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl