Deshaun Watson Reacts to Struggles in 1st Start Since 2024 as Browns Lose to Jaguars

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was making his first start since October 2024 in Sunday's season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and it showed.

Watson threw an interception on the fifth play of the game and struggled to find his footing as the Browns suffered a 34-10 loss on the road.

"We just couldn't get our rhythm back," Watson told reporters after the game. "We couldn't get drives back to help the defense. Jacksonville made plays and got points, and we didn't. I think that's where the game got away from us."

Watson finished with 205 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 16-of-22 passing. He was sacked five times as Cleveland struggled to keep up against a talented Jacksonville defense. Fans on social media quickly called out his struggles and suggested that he should be replaced by second-year signal-caller Shedeur Sanders.

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Watson accepted responsibility for the team's disappointing offensive performance on Sunday, but he said he's looking forward to improving in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"We left a lot out there, so obviously, I'll take that responsibility full throttle," Watson told reporters. "We gotta look at the tape and see how we can be better and try to attack Tampa Bay next week to be able to get points on the board to be able to get a win."

Despite the disappointing opening to the year, Watson added that his mindset hasn't changed, and he's confident that he and the Browns will be better going forward.

"Each week is different, regardless if it would've went the other way, we would've been saying to move on from this one tomorrow after we watch the tape," Watson said.