{"id":143002,"date":"2026-08-15T20:05:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T00:05:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/deshaun-watsons-first-game-since-2024-a-success-because-he-wasnt-as-bad-as-shedeur-sanders-or-dillon-gabriel-143002"},"modified":"2026-08-15T20:05:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T00:05:04","slug":"deshaun-watsons-first-game-since-2024-a-success-because-he-wasnt-as-bad-as-shedeur-sanders-or-dillon-gabriel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/deshaun-watsons-first-game-since-2024-a-success-because-he-wasnt-as-bad-as-shedeur-sanders-or-dillon-gabriel-143002","title":{"rendered":"Deshaun Watson’s first game since 2024 a success because he wasn’t as bad as Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

We’ve all heard the joke about being in the woods with a friend and being chased by a bear, right? It’s not necessary to be faster than the bear. It’s necessary to be faster than the friend. That definitely applied to Deshaun Watson<\/a> on Saturday in his first NFL action since 2024.<\/p>\n

This was a grand success for Watson because he got on the field in a preseason game against the Chicago Bears<\/a> (funny how that ties in) and he outran Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel in fleeing the bear.<\/p>\n

No, Watson wasn’t great in his one half of play. But he didn’t have to be because he was way better than the other two guys.<\/p>\n

DESHAUN WATSON, SHEDEUR SANDERS GIVE BROWNS A PRESEASON QUARTERBACK BATTLE WORTH WATCHING<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

“Definitely a good moment for myself,” is how Watson described his outing.<\/p>\n

And it was, in that it marked his first game action since he suffered not one but two Achilles tears in October of ’24 and then early in 2025.<\/p>\n

Watson even left the field as he entered: in one piece, which was a victory for the often-injured player.<\/p>\n

But beyond that, Watson was neither terrible nor great during the game.<\/p>\n

And that made him seem outstanding by comparison to Sanders, with whom he’s competing for a starting job<\/a>, and Gabriel, the team’s No. 3 quarterback at the moment.<\/p>\n

“Oh, it was awesome,” Cleveland Browns<\/a> coach Todd Monken overstated when asked about Watson’s outing. “I mean, it was so cool to watch him play. I get all of the frustration by fans, himself, but for him to come back and work like he did is an unbelievable credit to him.<\/p>\n

“And then to go out there; he was having fun today. And that is so cool. And I thought he really functioned at a high level.”<\/p>\n

Sure.<\/p>\n

Watson completed 11 of 15 passes. Good.<\/p>\n

The Browns scored with him in the game. Good.<\/p>\n

But he didn’t throw a TD. And did turn the ball over once on a fumble.<\/p>\n

That fumble seemed to trigger Watson because he actually completed 10 of his first 11 passes before the turnover, with his lone incompletion coming on a pass dropped by tight end Harold Fannin.<\/p>\n

But after the turnover he completed only one of his final four attempts.<\/p>\n

RAIDERS ROOKIE FERNANDO MENDOZA THANKS GOD FOR AN NFL DEBUT THAT COMPARES FAVORABLY TO ‘MR BRADY’<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

So where does that leave Watson now? Well, Monken was quite impressed.<\/p>\n

And to hear Watson talk, he simply performed as expected. No, not to the standards of the fully guaranteed $230 million he signed with the Browns in 2022, but pretty good.<\/p>\n

“I don’t think that’s anything that I doubted myself,” Watson said. “That’s the reason why I’ve worked hard these last two years, you know, to get back to that.<\/p>\n

“I had some, some challenges with some injuries and suspension and, you know, now being able to get a full offseason and continue to work my way back up. It takes time.<\/p>\n

“But I don’t doubt myself in any way that I can’t play at a high level.”<\/p>\n

This is where you must understand both Sanders and Gabriel threw interceptions. Sanders also fumbled a snap and while he didn’t lose it, it cost the Browns a down.<\/p>\n

Sanders finished with a 39.6 passer rating.<\/p>\n

Gabriel finished with a 27.1 passer rating.<\/p>\n

They were playing against backups and struggled.<\/p>\n

Monken said Sanders will start next week against the Buffalo Bills<\/a> and play the first half. Watson will play in the third quarter and Gabriel will play in the fourth.<\/p>\n

The race to the Browns’ starting quarterback job continues.<\/p>\n

FOLLOW ARMANDO SALGUERO ON X: @ARMANDOSALGUERO<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source – https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/deshaun-watson-first-game-since-2024-success-wasnt-bad-shedeur-sanders-dillon-gabriel <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We’ve all heard the joke about being in the woods with a friend and being chased by a bear, right? 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