QB drama fills run-up to Browns' game against Cardinals beyond Deshaun Watson starting
CLEVELAND — There was a little bit of a mystery about a starting quarterback going into Sunday's Browns game against the Arizona Cardinals. For once in a long while, it doesn't center around Deshaun Watson.
The Browns announced 48 hours before Sunday's 1 p.m. kickoff their starter will be Watson, who's started just one game since Sept. 24 due to a rotator cuff strain in his right shoulder. The $230 million quarterback did not just practice, but threw the ball in practice, for three consecutive days for the first time since before sustaining the injury.
"It motivates us," All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett said Friday of Watson. "He's been a big motivator in the locker room and on the field, even though he has [not] been playing. But seeing him on the field doing his thing, balling out, having fun, supporting the guys, just takes it to another level."
The question going into the weekend was about who will start for the Cardinals (1-7)? They traded their starter from the first eight games — Joshua Dobbs, who they had acquired from the Browns in an Aug. 24 trade — to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday.
The reason for that was because Kyler Murray, the 2019 No. 1 overall pick, was returning from an ACL tear he had sustained last December. But it's not going to be Murray who's going to start.
Arizona head coach and Cleveland native Jonathan Gannon waited until late Saturday afternoon before officially announcing rookie fifth-round pick Clayton Tune would be the starter. That came minutes after the Cardinals did not active Murray from the reserve/physically unable to perform list by the Saturday 4 p.m. deadline, and instead elevated Jeff Driskel from the practice squad.
Tune has played one snap this season, throwing a 4-yard pass on a fake punt that failed to pick up the first down in a Week 7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Driskel was signed to the practice squad this week.
“You’ve got to have a couple plans," Gannon, a former three-sport St. Ignatius High School standout, told reporters earlier in the week of preparing two quarterbacks. "Three really, but as the week gets going you’ve got to be able to adjust a little bit, and our guys know that. You’ve got to be ready for what you can get on Sunday, so you’ve got to do some work.”
That's typically been what Browns opponents have had to do since Watson first sustained his shoulder injury on a third-quarter hit by Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker in a Week 3 Browns win. He was expected to play the next week against the Baltimore Ravens, but was ruled out in favor of rookie fifth-round pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson less than three hours before kickoff.
Since then, it's been a never-ending roller-coaster ride of "will he play" or "won't he play" questions. P.J. Walker, who was on the practice squad at the start of the season, started a Week 6 win over the San Francisco 49ers and a loss last Sunday at the Seattle Seahawks.
Walker was also called upon to finish out the last time Watson started a game. That was two weeks ago in Indianapolis, where Watson played the first 12 offensive plays before being knocked out of the game with just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter after being knocked down by Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo.
Watson, who was 1-of-5 passing for 5 yards with an interception in that brief return, will giving starting another try. The Browns apparently believe this time he'll also be able to finish the game.
"Deshaun's been playing this game for a long time," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. "He understands how to protect himself. As you can imagine, our offense, our offensive line, you want to protect your quarterback, but you also understand the game. So he knows how to protect himself. He knows when to get out of bounds, when to slide, those type of things. But he's a very competitive player and he makes plays with his feet, so it's all part of the game."
Individual matchup of the game: Cleveland Browns CB Cameron Mitchell vs. Arizona Cardinals WR Rondale Moore
The Browns also know that cornerback Greg Newsome II isn't going to play because of a groin injury. That thrusts rookie fifth-round pick Cameron Mitchell into the starting lineup when the Browns go to their three-cornerback packages. Mitchell, specifically, would be the slot corner in those packages, which would put him up against Rondale Moore, one of the Cardinals' more dangerous all-around weapons. Moore has primarily lined up in the slot when he's actually lined up as a receiver, which is what he typically is for Arizona. However, they also utilize him in the running game similar to how the 49ers use Deebo Samuel, and that could be even more pronounced with the Cardinals down their top two running backs (James Conner and Emari Demercado) due to injuries. Whether he's running on a jet sweep or catching a slant route, Moore's a threat to break loose whenever he has the ball in his hands. Often, it's going to be Mitchell's job to make sure he doesn't get far.
Position group matchup of the game: Cleveland Browns defensive line vs. Arizona Cardinals offensive line
For all the talk about the identity of the Cardinals' starting quarterback, the reality is either one of them will have to deal with the same challenge the other seven quarterbacks who have started against the Browns have faced. That's the reality of the Browns' aggressive defensive line, led by Garrett, who's having himself a Defensive Player of the Year kind of season. The Cardinals are tied for 11th with 17 sacks allowed. The Browns are third in number of sacks per pass play, with Garrett tied for third with 8.5 sacks. Arizona has former first-round draft picks D.J. Humphries and Paris Johnson Jr. playing left and right tackle, respectively. How those two hold up specifically, as well as the line as a whole in general, will dictate how long of a day it is for whomever the Cardinals start at quarterback.
Coaching matchup of the game: Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz vs. Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing
Jim Schwartz has arrived in Cleveland and done what has been expected of him as the defensive coordinator, which is to turn the Browns into one of the league's top defenses. That defense has shown a bit of leakage over the last couple of weeks, especially with regards to stopping the run and preventing opponents from getting fast starts. The Cardinals come to town with a new coaching staff, but an offensive coordinator very familiar with the Browns. Drew Petzing has worked with Stefanski for years, dating back to their time together as Vikings assistants. Most recently, though, Petzing was Stefanski's quarterbacks coach in both 2020 and last season. So there's an institutional knowledge that exists there. How much will it play a role in Sunday's game? That's why they play the game.
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 starting for Browns at QB, as Cardinals go with rookie
