FOUR-DOWN TERRITORY
Greetings. I’ll be doing this every Monday during the 2024 NFL season – with some bonus “extra points” thrown in. My goal here today is simple: talk about four things in Week 1 that drew my interest. Your list might be different from mine, and that’s OK. I spent most of Sunday watching football, so I might as well weave a column out of it.
FIRST DOWN
Deshaun Watson is a disaster, and the Cleveland Browns are doomed. In Sunday’s embarrassing, non-competitive 33-17 loss to Dallas at home, Watson was booed from every section in his home stadium as fled the field at halftime. Where’s Joe Flacco?
This is Watson’s third season as the starting quarterback for the Browns since ownership stupidly signed him to a free-agent contract that might be the worst in NFL history. That’s no hyperbole.
In 13 career starts for the Browns, the injury-marred Watson has 15 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, a passer rating of 51.1, and has led his team to one fourth-quarter comeback. Among the 50 NFL quarterbacks that have attempted at least 200 passes since the start of 2022, Watson ranks 46th in passer rating, 48th in yards per passing attempt, and 48th in percentage of on-target throws.
The Dallas pass rush made Watson shrink on Sunday. He completed 24 of 45 passes for only 169 yards, had a net gain of 2.9 yards per passing attempt and finished with a passer rating of 51.1. Watson was intercepted twice. He frequently held onto the ball too long and took six sacks.
About that albatross of a contract: Watson is being paid $230 million guaranteed. In the aftermath of the sexual misconduct accusations against him in Houston, Watson was suspended 11 games by the NFL. But that didn’t stop Cleveland.
Knowing that the suspension would keep the morally-challenged quarterback off the field for nearly three months, the Browns still went ahead and acquired him from Houston and agreed to pay him in full. Oh, and as part of the transaction, the Browns handed over three first-round draft pick. Houston has used the draft capital to emerge as one of the best young teams in the league.
OK, so why don’t the Browns just dump him! Cut ties. Do it now. Problem solved. Not so easy. According to Over the Cap, the Browns would have a dead cap hit of $172.7 million next year if they jettison Watson. If they cut him after June 1 of 2025, Cleveland could spread that penalty over two seasons. But that’s still a prohibitive amount of money.
Watson has been an awful quarterback since 2020, when he passed for 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions for the Houston Texans. Watson can’t stay healthy, and does little to suggest he’ll return to an above-average performance level.
Browns ownership has no leverage to force Watson to restructure the contract in a team-friendly way. And Watson has a no-trade clause. The Browns are trapped. They are stuck with Watson. An absolute disaster. And it’s their fault. Entirely.
Restless Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and his front office ignored Watson’s hideous behavior off the field and saw him as the prince that would lead the franchise to a Super Bowl. Instead, Watson is leading the Browns into the abyss. Good job!
SECOND DOWN
The New York Giants are damn fools. After the 2023 season, general manager Joe Schoen decided it was best for the Giants to let star running back Saquon Barkley leave as a free agent. This is the same team that looked at Daniel Jones and concluded: franchise quarterback!
In a memorable scene captured by the film crew from the popular series “Hard Knocks,” Giants owner John Mara expressed his high anxiety of Schoen’s decision on Barkley.
“I’ll have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia, I’ll tell you that,” Mara told Schoen in their March meeting. “Just being honest. I’ve been around enough players. He’s the most popular player we have by far.”
Cut to the next scene: Barkley did in fact sign with Philadelphia.
Barkley is 27 and has a history of injuries. So perhaps Schoen can be defended, at least to an extent, for passing on giving a lavish deal to the running back. General managers around the league fret over the cost and risk of aging running backs.
But no Giants fan wants to hear that now. In Philly’s season opener, Barkley rushed 24 times for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns to carry his new team to a 29-25 victory over Green Bay.
The Giants opened their season by getting humiliated during a 28-6 home loss to Minnesota. The Giants couldn’t stop journeyman Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, who completed 80 percent of his passes.
Without Barkley, New York rushed for a blah 74 yards. Daniel Jones passed for only 186 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions. The perpetually battered quarterback was blasted for five sacks. The Giants have lost 12 of their last 18 regular-season games. Keep John Mara away from those TV cameras.
THIRD DOWN
The shocker of the first Sunday: New England 16, Cincinnati 10. And that game was played in the Bengals’ home den. Quarterback Joe Burrow was held to 164 yards on his 29 passing attempts and did not throw for a touchdown. The Bengals – who allowed running back Joe Mixon to leave as a free agent and join Houston – rushed for only 70 yards. One of the league’s best attacks could only muster 13 first downs and 224 total yards as the Patriots won their first game under rookie head coach Jerod Mayo.
But there’s no reason for panic in Cincinnati. Going back to 2020, the Bengals are now 1-8 the first two weeks of a season. And they haven’t scored a first-half touchdown in a season opener since 2021. The Bengals start slow and finish fast. They’d better get amped for their next game – Sunday’s matchup against the Chiefs in Kansas City.
FOURTH DOWN
Intrigue in Pittsburgh. Trade acquisition Justin Fields failed to beat out veteran newcomer Russell Wilson for the QB1 battle in training camp. But with Wilson still limping with a strained calf, Fields got the start in Atlanta Sunday and did his part in a tough and typical 18-10 road conquering.
This was Mike Tomlin football, baby. The Steelers harassed new Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins with intense pressure. They swarmed running back Bijan Robinson and held him to 68 yards on 16 carries. And offense, the Steelers grinded their way to six field goals by Chris Boswell. A conservative approach by Arthur Smith was the smart way to go. Tomlin undoubtedly approved.
Fields – the former Chicago Bears quarterback drafted No. 1 overall draft choice in 2021 – smoothly operated in the Tomlin style of ball. He completed 17 of 23 passes for 156 yards, ran it 14 times for 57 yards, and did not turn the ball over.
EXTRA POINTS
+ Speaking of Chicago: this year’s first overall choice, quarterback Caleb Williams was on the winning side Sunday when the Bears defeated visiting Tennessee, 24-17. Williams wasn’t much of a factor in the outcome, completing only 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards. And the mobile quarterback had no breakways on the ground, rushing five times for 15 yards. The Chicago offense didn’t score a touchdown. The squad’s two TDs came on a blocked punt and a pick-six interception. Never mind all of that; Williams is the first QB selected with th first overall pick to win in Week I since Houston’s David Carr in 2002. And only two others have done it since the 1970 merger: Jim Plunkett in 1971 and John Elway in 1983.
+ The Houston Texans are an impressive football team. They have the brilliant second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud. They have a big offensive line and a physical running game led by Joe Mixon. They have a ferocious pass rush. And their second-year head coach, DeMeco Ryans, is outstanding. The Texas went to Indianapolis for their opening game and won 29-27. I watched the game, and even with the close outcome, I never thought the Texans were in danger of losing. Sure, the Houston defense was roasted for two long touchdown bombs by the Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson. But he connected on only seven other passes during the game. The Texans smashed the Colts for 213 yards rushing on 40 attempts. Mixon was a beast, carrying 30 times for 159 yards. And the poised Stroud calmly flicked for 234 yards, a 75 percent completion rate, and two touchdowns. I know it’s early, but wouldn’t be surprised to see a Houston vs. Kansas City matchup in the AFC Championship game..
+ Poor Bryce Young. The top pick in the 2023 draft, the former Alabama quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner had the misfortune of being chosen by the woeful, hideous Carolina Panthers. The rookie, operating behind a horrible offensive line, absorbed a heavy beating all season in 2023. It doesn’t look like the second year will go much better. It might get worse. In Sunday’s opener the Panthers were whomped 47-10 at New Orleans. The Saints built an early 30-0 lead, and it was 30-3 at halftime. Young was hunted down for four sacks, didn’t have much time to throw all afternoon, and completed only 13 of 30 passes for 161 yards and two interceptions. (No TD passes, but Young did run for a score.)
Young is 2-15 as Carolina’s starter, and it’s not his fault. He is the victim. He has been sacked 66 times in just 17 games and has been slammed and tossed around for 503 yards lost in sacks. He has more interceptions (12) than touchdown passes (11.) And three of his INTs were pick-six jobs. He’s also fumbled 12 times, losing five. Last season he was clobbered with the most sacks on blitzes, 24. His success rate on passes (different from completion rate) is an abysmal 36 percent.
No wonder. The dude is getting mauled out there. This is how a promising career can be wrecked before a kid QB has a chance to settle in and progress without fear of putting his life in danger. Or something like that.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
A 2023 inductee into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Bernie has provided informed opinions and perspective on St. Louis sports through his columns, radio shows and podcasts since 1985.
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Stats used in this column were from Pro Football Reference and Pro Football Focus.
