Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson connection began with 2016 Clemson-Louisville shootout

BEREA — Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson staged an epic shootout the one time the two quarterbacks met in college.

On Oct. 1, 2016, Watson's Clemson University team played host to Jackson's University of Louisville team in what was then a top-5 matchup in the polls. Watson and the No. 5 Tigers outlasted Jackson and the No. 3 Cardinals 42-36 on that day.

Watson threw for 306 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 91 rushing yards. Jackson, who went on to win the Heisman Trophy that season, threw for 295 yards and a score while rushing for another 162 yards and two scores.

Seven years to the day, the two quarterbacks will once share the same field. This time, it'll be Sunday when Watson and the Browns play host to Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.

Neither quarterback will be tasked with trying to stop the other. However, neither quarterback denies a certain connection to each other thanks to that October Saturday night in Clemson's Memorial Stadium.

“To be honest, I haven’t been watching (the Browns offense)," Jackson told reporters in Baltimore Wednesday. "But like you said, we’ve been going back and forth since 2016, that shootout in Death Valley. I haven’t been watching those guys this season, but they’re playing pretty [well] from what I’ve heard.”

That would be a definite if the only point of reference was the last game. Watson is coming off his best performance since 2020 — the third of three Pro Bowl seasons while with the Houston Texans — when he completed 27 of 33 passes for 289 yards with two touchdowns Sunday in a win over the Tennessee Titans.

That 2020 season was also the last time Watson and Jackson squared off as opposing starting quarterbacks. Despite being in the same division a year ago, Watson was suspended for the Browns' Week 7 loss in Baltimore, while Jackson was injured for the Ravens' Week 15 loss in Cleveland.

Jackson and the Ravens have won both previous meetings between the two quarterbacks, a 41-7 win in 2019 and a 33-16 win in 2020. Those past matchups have no impact on Watson's mindset as he prepares for Sunday's AFC North showdown.

"No, I mean, no extra juice for me," Watson said Wednesday. "I have the same mentality, same approach to every game. I'm not going technically against him; the defense is. My main job is just trying to find any way I can to be positive with this great defense we're going against."

That doesn't mean there's not a level of mutual respect between the two quarterbacks. Watson said the two "don't talk all the time," but that "we got a good solid relationship."

The two were linked again this offseason as Jackson battled the Ravens front office for a contract extension, with many pointing to Watson's fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal with the Browns as the template for what he was demanding. Ultimately, after a tumultuous few months of negotiations, Jackson and the team agreed to a five-year, $260-million extension, with $185 million fully guaranteed.

Watson was asked if he texted Jackson after the deal was done and bragged about still having one up on him.

"Nah, nah, I didn't do that," Watson said. "I said, 'Congratulations.' I didn't say all that."

Jackson and Watson are tied with Hall of Famer Steve Young for the second-most seasons of at least 25 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns with two. Jackson did it in his 2019 MVP season, as well as in 2020, while Watson did it in 2018 and 2019.

What Watson admires Jackson for is the ability that separates the latter from essentially any other quarterback in the NFL. That's his ability to not just be an effective runner, but arguably the most elusive runner in the league.

Jackson, on top of 608 passing yards this season, also leads the Ravens with 193 rushing yards. He's 370 yards shy of becoming the fourth quarterback in NFL history to rush for 5,000 career yards.

"I mean, to be honest, he's one of the best runners in the game," Watson said. "Not even just for quarterback position, but just overall. I've been watching Lamar, going against Lamar, since college. I've been seeing all this since Louisville-Clemson days. So nothing changed. He's just gotten bigger and stronger, and it's impressive to me."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson tied by 2016 thriller, AFC North rivalry