Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken said Monday that he anticipates quarterback Deshaun Watson to start their Week 2 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Monken noted that "there were some really good things on film" from Watson's Week 1 start against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, the Browns mustered only 10 points in the 34-10 defeat, with Watson completing 16 of his 22 attempts for 205 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
The head coach added that his film review confirmed his initial postgame impressions.
"We got to play better around him," Monken told reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "We got to call it better. And he's got to play better. Our inability to function consistently as an offense was a byproduct of we, coaching, and playing."
Sunday's start marked Watson's first appearance in an NFL game since he tore his right Achilles on Oct. 7, 2024 - an injury that also cost him the entire 2025 campaign.
Watson, who's in the final year of his deal, has endured a disastrous stint with the Browns since the franchise traded three first-round picks to acquire him and gave him a fully guaranteed five-year, $230-million contract in March 2022. He has yet to recapture his previous Pro Bowl form, posting a 9-11 record as a starter with Cleveland and throwing for 20 touchdowns to 13 interceptions.
The Browns named Watson their starting quarterback after a training camp battle with Shedeur Sanders.
