Browns searching for normalcy as they enter Week 2 matchup vs. Jaguars (2024)

Here are some thoughts on the state (and temperature) of the Cleveland Browns, who returned to practice Wednesday and continue preparations for a crucial game between 0-1 teams Sunday in Jacksonville.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he didn’t know about the new civil suit accusing Deshaun Watson of sexual assault until it was filed Monday, and Watson told reporters he didn’t know about it until a notification popped up on his phone. In either case, both Stefanski and Watson mostly deferred to statements released by the Browns’ organization and by Watson’s defense attorney about the accusations. Stefanski said Watson will play on Sunday, and the quarterback was on the practice field Wednesday afternoon.

I won’t say it’s business as usual because this is just not normal. These are noisy, uncomfortable times for the Browns as a whole — and it’s just Week 2. The suit was filed a day after Watson and the Browns stunk in a highly anticipated season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. Not much the Browns did in that game was good enough, and nothing Watson did indicated that the offense is on the verge of a big jump.

Watson took a bunch of hits, completed no passes thrown over 15 yards and too often didn’t even throw it to the chains when Cleveland was in difficult down-and-distance situations. The Browns led 3-0 but only got one first down in the first half and trailed 27-3 before they mounted any kind of drive.

Watson lost his father last week, then over the weekend lost his friend and college teammate Diondre Overton. He said he was surprised by the newest lawsuit, too, so it’s fair to wonder if Watson is right mentally — and physically, considering the opener was his first live action since he had shoulder surgery last November.

Watson said he’s not making excuses and that he “(has) to be better, I will be better.” He said the Browns will continue to grow each week and will need time to gel offensively.

“It’s going to be a work in progress, for sure,” he said. “I think new pieces, new guys, first live football together (last week). It’s going to take time.”

Without significant progress being evident this week, it’s hard to imagine the Browns avoiding an 0-2 start. So practice this week matters and Watson’s mental state matters. It’s not that these things can ever really be overlooked. But the offense looked closer to being a disaster than it did to simply being unfinished last week, and it’s hard to dismiss Sunday’s performance as just something that happens in Week 1. Because if it happens again, Cleveland will be in big trouble.

Long way to the finish

I always say Week 1 is quickly forgotten. I remind myself — publicly and privately — to avoid overreactions. Stefanski is now 2-3 in season openers, and he’s never been 0-2. The 2020 Browns went from getting run over in Week 1 to 4-1 in early October. In 2021, they ran off three straight following a season-opening loss.

The post-1999 Browns have been to the playoffs three times. The first two lost their openers, and the 2002 team was 2-4 before it rebounded. The 2007 Browns won 10 games but missed the playoffs. They lost their opener 34-7 and traded starting quarterback Charlie Frye the next day, but by October they’d become one of the league’s most dangerous offenses.

With continuity being the theme of the offseason, I’m going to give this team a fair chance to prove it can be a lot better than it showed in its debut. The defense kept getting beat on the same jet sweeps and blitz-beaters, and the special teams gave up a 60-yard punt return. There’s much to clean up besides just completing simple passes. Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward said Wednesday that he’s putting in extra time on the JUGS machine after dropping multiple would-be interceptions that would have changed the flow of the game.

“I think I dropped three,” Ward said. “I’ll be better.”

That’s the universal pledge internally. It will get even noisier — probably internally and externally — if the Browns don’t put a much cleaner effort on the field Sunday.

Back to the quarterback

Watson said he hadn’t thought about the possibility of another potential personal conduct policy suspension. The league thus far has said little other than the commissioner’s exempt list is not currently an option and that the matter will be reviewed under the personal conduct policy.

I don’t think Stefanski would consider benching Watson for performance anytime soon. Is it even fair to think that’s a possibility after one game? Considering the accuracy issues and the lack of flow to the offense, I think it eventually is. And though it was only one game, the coaching staff has every play of training camp on tape, too. It’s been rough.

But I think the Browns are committed — well, way overcommitted — to making it work with Watson, and I think we’ll see something different this week. That “different” might include more designed quarterback runs and more quick passes to build confidence. It probably has to include Watson and Amari Cooper developing a real connection. As noted above, the Browns just have to find any way to win this week. If they do, the noise will reduce significantly — even if the offense still needs time before it takes consistent steps.

Major absence

Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku is out for at least this week with an ankle injury, and that’s a significant loss on multiple fronts. The Browns feed Njoku as part of their weekly game plan, and they need him. He’s an after-catch playmaker who draws defensive attention, and he was a big part of this revamped offense’s efforts to get the passing game going.

Njoku had five targets last week in his 28 snaps, and he was injured at the end of a 29-yard catch-and-run, the Browns’ biggest play of the day. Veteran Jordan Akins will start in Njoku’s place, and the Browns will either sign or promote one of the three tight ends on their practice squad. None of the three — Blake Whiteheart, Cameron Latu and Geoff Swaim — were with Cleveland in training camp. Swaim was just signed after a Tuesday workout.

In last December’s win over Jacksonville, Njoku caught two touchdown passes in the first 17 minutes. He finished with six catches for 91 yards as the Browns held on to score a crucial victory. Jacksonville has a new defensive coordinator, Ryan Nielsen, after last year’s Jaguars finished 26th in passing yards allowed per game.

Do the pieces fit?

We’ll try to avoid firm conclusions after one game, but the roster construction across multiple aspects of the offense looks shaky. The running back room scares no one. TheBrowns kept just two tight ends, and the best one is hurt. A team with just two healthy offensive tackles in September started its draft by taking a defensive tackle who’s currently ineligible to play and a backup guard.

As of Wednesday, the Browns have seven wide receivers and one tight end on the active roster. Njoku’s loss is significant structurally and in the playmaking department. The obvious but important thing is that Watson simply has to complete some passes downfield. Whether Njoku’s absence means more targets for Cedric Tillman or more quick passes to Jerry Jeudy remains to be seen.

Njoku remains on the active roster, which is an indication he could return later this month. Four players were placed on injured reserve Wednesday and will miss at least four weeks: Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II (ankle), safety Juan Thornhill (calf) and linebackers Tony Fields II (ankle) and Mohamoud Diabate (hip).

Signed from the practice squad to the active roster were wide receiver David Bell, cornerback Mike Ford Jr. and defensive tackle Sam Kamara. As previously reported, the Browns also signed linebacker Khaleke Hudson from the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad. Stefanski said both Rodney McLeod and Ronnie Hickman would see increased snaps in Thornhill’s absence. Thornhill also missed time with a calf injury last season.

Keeping Watson upright

Who’s playing left tackle this week? It’s too early to know, but it might be James Hudson III again. Stefanski said Jedrick Wills Jr. was going to practice Wednesday, but Wills was not on the field. Jack Conklin was out there, but he was mostly a spectator during the early viewing period. No injury report ever provides much real info before Friday’s, and it remains possible that Conklin and Wills could put in strong enough practices later in the week to get clearance. Is that likely? Well, we don’t know. It’s probably more likely with Conklin because he has now logged four more practices than Wills has.

In any case, the Browns have to eliminate penalties and get more out of the run game. Getting a lead or at least staying close would probably help, too. The Jaguars have two blue-chip edge rushers in Josh Hines-Allen and 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker, and they’ll have full knowledge of Cleveland’s struggles when playing from behind last week.

Based on the offense’s jersey color in Wednesday’s practice, the Browns unsurprisingly will be wearing brown jerseys on Sunday. The Jaguars likely chose white because of the sun and September heat. The early AccuWeather forecast for Sunday calls for temperatures in the high 80s with a chance of storms.

Jacksonville is where Watson made his first appearance with the Browns, a short cameo in the 2022 preseason opener. The Browns knew Watson would be suspended to start the regular season, so they wanted to get him some live reps in that game. Things didn’t go well for Cleveland, and the Jacksonville crowd was ruthless toward Watson. He’ll be facing both a hostile environment and a good defense Sunday, and the Browns will need him to be sharp and resilient to keep their offense going — or get their offense going.

Whichever one you choose, and whichever path Stefanski and the offensive coaches take, the Browns must find a way to get some first downs, create some scoring chances and hope to hang on late. The only way to quiet the noise would be to win on Sunday. Otherwise, the heat gets turned up beyond even Jacksonville in early September levels.

(Photo of Kevin Stefanski: Jeff Lange / USA Today)

Zac Jackson is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Cleveland Browns. He is also the host of the "A to Z" podcast alongside Andre Knott. Previously, Zac covered the Browns for Fox Sports Ohio and worked for Pro Football Talk. Follow Zac on Twitter @AkronJackson