Analyst thinks Browns 'genuinely' need to make Deshaun Watson decision soon

Quarterback Deshaun Watson once again failed to impress, and the Cleveland Browns fell to 1-2 on the season after this past Sunday's ugly 21-15 home loss to the New York Giants.

During the latest edition of The 33rd Team's "Check the Mic with Steve Palazzolo and Sam Monson" podcast, Monson suggested that Watson is no longer the same player he was when he earned three Pro Bowl nods with the Houston Texans from 2017 through the 2020 season.

"This really is the story of Deshaun Watson with the Browns," Monson said, as shared by Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot. "We have one good game, [and] you're straight back to ineptitude. They genuinely are gonna need to bench him at some point. They're not getting out of this. The light isn't going on. Deshaun Watson isn't gonna start suddenly playing competent football."

The Browns replaced former offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt with Ken Dorsey this offseason. Cleveland later chose Jameis Winston over fan-favorite Joe Flacco as Watson's primary backup. It was thought such moves could help Watson reclaim his best form after the shoulder injury that limited him to just six starts last season.

However, the 29-year-old was among the most disappointing quarterbacks of the ongoing campaign's first three weeks. According to ESPN stats, Watson began Tuesday ranked 30th in the NFL among qualified players with a 22.5 adjusted QBR and 28th with a 57.8% completion percentage. He tossed three touchdown passes and two interceptions across Cleveland's first three games.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi mentioned that injuries decimating Cleveland's offensive line understandably impacted Watson over the past several weeks. The Browns signed Watson to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract in March 2022, hoping he would overcome such setbacks.

"The contract is the only thing keeping Deshaun Watson in that job right now because his play has been miserable," Monson added.

There's no sign Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is even thinking about turning to Winston for Cleveland's Week 4 game at the 1-2 Las Vegas Raiders this coming Sunday. If, however, Watson produces a dud against a team that suffered a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 3, Stefanski may have to consider changing for the Week 5 matchup at the Washington Commanders (2-1).

As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Browns as one-point underdogs against the Raiders.