JACKSONVILLE – Jaguars.com senior writer John Oehser each week during the 2024 regular season will speak with a writer or media member covering the Jaguars' opponent.
Up this week:
Tony Grossi of 850 ESPN Cleveland on the Browns as they enter Sunday's game against the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium.
Q: The Browns after making the postseason as a wild-card team in 2023 lost the 2024 regular-season opener, 33-17, to the Dallas Cowboys Sunday. What's the state of the Browns entering Week 2?
A: They're one of those teams that didn't play any regulars in the preseason. The priority was getting as many players to the starting line as healthy as possible. They achieved that except at the left tackle position. The offense against Dallas was a complete utter, disaster. They changed coaching staffs on offense, brought in a new coordinator, with the intent of making [quarterback] Deshaun Watson comfortable in the offense. He produced the second-worst game of his career with the Browns according to passer rating. It was just abysmal, and he didn't receive any help. Every series in the first quarter they committed a bad play offensively or a pre-snap penalty. They had one first down the entire first half, and it was their second play of the game. Offensively was a disaster and defense and special teams weren't much better either.
Q: What's the feeling about Watson entering Week 2?
A: The team seems committed to him. They all support him. So far, nobody's breaking ranks. It's way too early for that, but fanbase-wise it hasn't been good at all. He has started pretty much 12 full games going into his third year. People are just waiting for him to show some sign of his former self and it's just not there. The encouraging thing was he had shoulder surgery in November and the whole offseason the question was is he ever going to be the same? Is the shoulder going to hold up? That answer is a resounding yes. He took a pounding in that game and kept it up. During training camp, he threw the ball well. The health issue has been resolved. Now it's above the shoulders. Can he play with confidence? Can he be the guy he used to be? There's not much to go on after one game.
Q: The Jaguars just played the Browns last December, losing 31-27. This is a new offense with coordinator Ken Dorsey. What do the Browns want to be offensively now?
A: They play a lot of 11 personnel. Before, it was a lot of tight ends and the play-action game. The offense they played last season is gone. The play fake, the play-action game, the taking the shots downfield … [then-quarterback] Joe Flacco was fabulous at that. But they didn't bring him back. Not only that, they brought in new coordinator, Ken Dorsey, primarily because of experience with Cam Newton and Josh Allen -- mobile quarterbacks, dual-threat quarterbacks. They wanted to make Deshaun much more comfortable. They traded for Jerry Jeudy as their No. 2 receiver. Every one of their top three receivers – Amari Cooper, Jeudy and Elijah Moore – they've had to trade for because they haven't been able to draft them without a first-round pick the last three years. So, the offense is 11 personnel, run-pass options, sprinting out of the pocket. As Watson said about Dorsey in the offseason, "He's going to let me be me," which means playing out of structure. That's both his good point and his bad point because he even in his heyday with Houston he was among the league leaders in sacks because he runs into them. His pocket awareness is lacking. That's what they wanted. They want to resemble what Dorsey did with Josh Allen in Buffalo. They've kind of lost their running mentality here. That was the other hallmark. They're playing more shotgun spread, and the running game – after one game and all I saw in the offseason – is going to suffer because of it. It's all tailored to make Deshaun more comfortable in what he did.
Q: This feels like a defense that should still be among the NFL's best.
A: Yes, although there was a big difference playing on the road last year versus playing at home. They're been unable to explain the problem, but if you look at the quarterbacks they played at home last year versus the ones they played on the road, that's as good as explanation as anything. They held the Cowboys and [quarterback] Dak Prescott to two touchdown drives. Dallas kicked a lot of field goals, and the offense didn't give them any help, but the Browns forced no turnovers. The Cowboys schemed away from [defensive end] Myles Garrett very effectively. But the defense is the strength. It's the engine of the team. It's the Jim Schwartz defense up front and a really good secondary.
Q: So how does this feel entering Week 2? Is this playoffs or bust? It feels like the story of the season is Watson.
A: They won without Deshaun last year. They won with four different starting quarterbacks. They caught lightning in a bottle with Flacco at the end, and he really got them into the playoffs with four really good games. They didn't invite him back. They didn't even offer him a contract. They brought in Jameis Winston as the backup quarterback, primarily as a hype man and supporter of Watson. He's his number one advocate. Can Watson play through a whole season? And if not, can Winston pick up the slack? If Watson plays the whole season, can he regain his form? Nobody knows. They're still seeking that. Everyone here had high expectations. They've yet to win their division title since 2002 and have that home playoff game. They're right in this tough division (the AFC North). The clock on Watson is just ticking.
