Deshaun Watson's Improvement Key to Cleveland Browns' 2024 NFL Season Success in AFC North

Cleveland, Ohio, United States United States of America
Cleveland Browns had an unexpectedly successful 2023 NFL season with a record of 11-6 and made it to the playoffs.
Deshaun Watson's performance will be crucial for the Browns' chances of competing for the AFC North crown in the 2024 NFL season.
Former NFL GM Randy Mueller believes that Deshaun Watson needs to take a significant step forward for the Browns to replicate their previous success.
Deshaun Watson's Improvement Key to Cleveland Browns' 2024 NFL Season Success in AFC North

The Cleveland Browns had an unexpectedly successful 2023 NFL season, finishing with a record of 11-6 and making it to the playoffs. However, their journey was not without its challenges. Several key players, including Nick Chubb, Jack Conklin, and Deshaun Watson, suffered injuries that kept them out of a significant number of games. Despite these setbacks, the Browns managed to pull through with impressive wins against fading teams like Jacksonville, Chicago, New York and Houston without CJ Stroud.

As they prepare for the 2024 NFL season in the tough AFC North division, it's uncertain whether they will be able to replicate their previous success. Former NFL GM Randy Mueller believes that even if the Browns play as well as last year, their record might not reflect it unless quarterback Deshaun Watson takes a significant step forward.

The Browns have made some roster improvements while keeping their dominant defense intact. However, they face a challenging schedule, especially towards the end of the season. Injuries and luck played a significant role in their success last year, and it remains to be seen if they can overcome these factors once again.

Deshaun Watson's performance will be crucial for the Browns' chances of competing for the AFC North crown. If he takes a step up from his 2023 season, Cleveland stands a strong chance of contending. However, if Watson doesn't improve, they may need more luck than they had last year to achieve similar results.



Confidence

81%

Doubts
  • It is uncertain if the Browns will be able to replicate their previous success without several key players.
  • The impact of injuries and luck on the Browns' success last year is not fully understood.

Sources

88%

  • Unique Points
    • Amari Cooper, David Njoku and newly acquired Ja’Marr Jeudy had productive seasons for the Browns in 2023.
    • Deshaun Watson has appeared in just six games for the Browns since joining the team due to injury.
  • Accuracy
    • The Browns made the playoffs in 2023 despite ending the season with an injury to their starting quarterback, Deshaun Watson.
    • Joe Flacco led the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns in December 2023.
  • Deception (80%)
    The article contains editorializing and pontification from the author. The author expresses his personal opinions about the Cleveland Browns' success in the previous season and their potential for future success. He also makes assumptions about Deshaun Watson's performance based on his past statistics with Cleveland and Houston.
    • One of the only glaring weaknesses of his tenure was turnovers.
    • The Browns are back, baby.
    • The team was having success with him under center.
    • Heck, even in his 10 weeks on the job last year, Buffalo ranked third in the NFL in yards per play (6.0) and second in third-down conversion rate (49.2%).
    • This will be Year 3 of the fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract Watson was handed in 2022.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

92%

  • Unique Points
    • Former NFL general manager Randy Mueller thinks Cleveland might be more talented than it was in 2023 but may not replicate its success due to the difficulty of the AFC North division.
    • Deshaun Watson dealt with injuries throughout the season and underwent surgery, missing six games. He is expected to return in Week 1 of the 2024 season.
  • Accuracy
    • The Cleveland Browns finished 1st place in the AFC North and made the playoffs with a record of 11-6 in the 2023 season.
    • Deshaun Watson dealt with injuries throughout the season and underwent surgery, missing six games. He is expected to return in Week 1 of the 2024 season but played all games and had full stats in the article.
    • The Browns have talent on both sides of the ball and brought back the No. 1-ranked defense from last season but are expected to struggle due to division competition despite having a talented roster.
  • Deception (80%)
    The author, Matthew Schmidt, is expressing his own opinion and making predictions about the Cleveland Browns' performance in the upcoming season based on their division competition. He is not providing any factual information or evidence to support his claims. This can be considered selective reporting as he is only focusing on the potential challenges for the Browns without acknowledging their strengths or other factors that could impact their success.
    • The Browns might be as good or better than last season (when they went 11-6), but in this brutal division, it might not translate to results unless the QB takes a big step.
    • To be fair, one can make the same argument in favor of the Browns. After all, Watson played six games last season. However, the 28-year-old also has participated in a grand total of 12 games the last three years and hasn’t been truly effective since 2020.
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

82%

  • Unique Points
    • The Browns finished the 2023 NFL season with a record of 11-6 and made it to the playoffs.
    • Nick Chubb, Jack Conklin, Deshaun Watson and others suffered injuries that kept them out of a significant number of games.
  • Accuracy
    • Deshaun Watson dealt with injuries throughout the season and underwent surgery, missing six games. He is expected to return in Week 1 of the 2024 season.
    • The Browns have talent on both sides of the ball and brought back the No. 1-ranked defense from last season.
    • Deshaun Watson started 6 games for the Cleveland Browns, completing 104 of 166 passes for 1,110 yards with 7 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He also rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article does not heavily deceive the reader, but it does present a misleading statement by implying that the Cleveland Browns' 2023 record was solely due to luck and unfairness. The author also makes an assumption about the team's performance in the 2024 season without providing substantial evidence or peer-reviewed studies.
    • Fair is a funny concept in professional sports...
    • Heading into the 2024 NFL season, figuring out where the Browns will finish in the tough AFC North is difficult.
    • Injuries robbed Nick Chubb, Jack Conklin, Deshaun Watson and many others from a large number of games.
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Cedric Tillman is a Cleveland Browns wide receiver who could make an impact despite not putting up gaudy numbers due to the team’s talented receiver group.
    • Maurice Hurst II was an unsung hero for the Browns defense in the previous season, contributing significantly without double-digit sacks or being a rotational player.
    • Alex Wright made a significant leap in his second season as a defensive end for the Browns and is expected to continue setting the edge effectively.
    • Nyheim Hines will play an important role for the Browns this season, excelling in receiving, kickoff returns, and gadget plays.
    • Rodney McLeod is a veteran safety returning to Cleveland for one final season, bringing leadership and versatility to the defensive backfield.
    • Jordan Hicks is an upgrade at linebacker next to Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, coming off another 100-tackle season and being effective covering tight ends and running backs.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

93%

  • Unique Points
    • Deshaun Watson started 6 games for the Cleveland Browns, completing 104 of 166 passes for 1,110 yards with 7 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He also rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown.
    • Deshaun Watson's full season stats based on his performance in the five full games he played would be: 3,774 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He would have also had 483 rushing yards with three touchdowns.
    • Deshaun Watson led the Browns to a record of 4-1 in his full starts.
    • Connor Orr predicts Deshaun Watson will have a bounce-back season in 2024, throwing for 32 touchdown passes and running for 10 more.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (70%)
    The author makes editorializing statements and uses emotional manipulation by implying that the Browns fans have been railroaded and that Watson's comeback has been prevented. The author also engages in selective reporting by only presenting statistics that support his position, while ignoring other relevant information such as Watson's off-field issues and allegations of sexual misconduct.
    • But let’s see if the numbers actually prove this. First, Watson started six games but one of those was against the Indianapolis Colts and he threw just five passes. If we remove the 1-of-5 for five yards with a pick and look at what he did in the five full games he played, here’s what Watson accomplished.
    • despite the team bolstering its roster with two veteran quarterbacks who both have a heap of starting experience (Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley), and jettisoning Joe Flacco to prevent fan sentiment from railroading Watson’s comeback
    • Those numbers are far from great for a quarterback making $46 million per season but they’re not as bad as we’ve believed.
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication