Sports

Assigning blame for Browns loss in Week 1: Deshaun Watson tops the list but is not alone

Nairavoice · Sep 14, 2026 · 2 min read

In assessing the Cleveland Browns’ 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, several factors contributed to a performance in which Cleveland was never really in the game. Deshaun Watson threw an interception on his third pass attempt of the first quarter, setting the tone for what would become a disappointing game for the Browns. Watson was certainly a substantial part of what went wrong for Cleveland in this matchup, but several other factors also contributed to the Browns’ struggles.

The Browns’ defense did little to help give the team a chance to win. They allowed Trevor Lawrence to go 18 of 23 for 245 yards and four touchdowns. With Myles Garrett no longer leading this defense, there was plenty of uncertainty around what the unit would look like. This group’s performance did little to give anyone confidence that they could replicate the dominant defense they used to be.

Some of the blame also falls on Todd Monken, who seemed unprepared with his game plan and struggled with some game management decisions throughout the matchup. It only added to the struggles the team was already having, as did the lack of a solid run game.

Watson finished 16 of 22 with 205 yards, one interception, and one touchdown. This stat line is not particularly concerning; however, much of the production came at the end of the fourth quarter when the game was already out of reach. The Browns trailed 31-0 at one point, making Watson’s lack of production and inability to run the offense effectively a major factor in the team’s struggles.

Let me know what you think in the comments – How much of the Browns’ loss was Deshaun Watson’s fault? And vote in our poll