Todd Monken Defends Deshaun Watson Following 34-10 Loss to Jaguars

Deshaun Watson completed 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown in his first regular-season game in 693 days.

The Cleveland Browns opened the NFL season with a 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Cleveland trailed 24-0 at halftime, tying the franchise's worst halftime shutout deficit in 35 years. During the first two quarters, the Browns offense produced only five first downs on six drives and failed to convert any of their four third-down attempts. Jacksonville scored on each of their first four possessions to build the early lead.

Deshaun Watson, playing his first regular-season game in 693 days, finished the contest completing 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also added 38 rushing yards. Through the first three quarters, Watson had completed 11 of 17 passes for 100 yards as Jacksonville led 34-3. His first-quarter interception was recorded by Jaguars linebacker Foye Oluokun on Cleveland's opening possession. The Browns also lost a fumble by rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion during the first half.

Coach Todd Monken declined to commit to Watson as the starter moving forward but stated it was unfair to blame the veteran quarterback for the defeat. Monken cited operational issues, including six accepted offensive penalties and two delay-of-game infractions. The coach noted that the team struggled with substitutions and getting in and out of the huddle. Watson, who turns 31 on Monday, won the starting job on Aug. 24 following a training camp competition with Shedeur Sanders. Cleveland will travel to face Tampa Bay next week.