Tennessee Titans' Jeffery Simmons says they can see one flaw in Deshaun Watson's game
Tennessee Titans All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons wasn't shy about diagnosing Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson's weakness.
The Titans (1-1) visit Cleveland (1-1) on Sunday (noon, CBS) in their first matchup against Watson since his tenure in the AFC South with the Houston Texans. He historically has been a pain in the Titans' neck. In just six games, he has hurt the Titans with 1,746 yards passing, 17 touchdowns (and just five interceptions), and rushed for 208 yards and two scores. Those marks would work out to 4,947 passing yards, 589 rushing yards and 54 total touchdowns in a 17-game season.
But Watson isn't in Houston anymore and Simmons sees plainly how the Titans can pester Watson on Sunday.
"At the end of the day, it’s on film and everyone sees it that he gives us the opportunity to get the ball," Simmons said. "When he’s running with the ball and when he tries to escape the pocket, the ball is out from his body trying to do the stiff arm or whatever it may be.
"We see that on film and we’re getting coached on that. So when we’re affecting him and trying to affect him, we have to go for the ball."
In two games this season, Watson already has fumbled three times, including one that was returned for a touchdown in Monday's 26-22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He fumbled just once in six games last season but fumbled a whopping 27 times in three years (2018-20). He also has thrown two interceptions, slotting him among the league's leaders in turnovers.
Turnovers have always been part of Watson's game, even in his time at Clemson, where he was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2016 despite throwing the second-most interceptions in college football. What has changed is that he's not having the same level of success in every other phase to justify the turnovers. This season he ranks 30th out of 32 qualified quarterbacks in passer rating and yards per pass attempt, and 31st in completion percentage.
Just don't tell Titans defensive line coach Terrell Williams that.
"He’s still powerful," he said. "He can still throw the football. The thing about him that’s different from a lot of quarterbacks is he can make the off-track plays like scrambling, looking down field. He’s got a heckuva stiff arm. He’s still playing at a high level. I don’t know what the stats say. I’m just telling you what the film says."
The Titans' coaching staff is as familiar with Watson as any quarterback in the league. And not just from playing against him twice a year. Coach Mike Vrabel, offensive coordinator Tim Kelly and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen all coached Watson when they were on the Texans' staff. Kelly was Watson's offensive coordinator for two years, including one when Watson led the NFL in passing yards.
Kelly said his hands are full enough preparing for the Browns' defense, so he hasn't contributed his firsthand knowledge of Watson in defensive meetings this week. Bowen says he wasn't around Watson long enough to have inside experience he can use against him, but the key to slowing him down is relentless pursuit.
Even Simmons, who was so willing to call out a weakness in Watson's game, doesn't feel comfortable commenting on whether Watson looks different now than when the Titans last faced him in 2020.
"I don’t get caught up in all that. I just watch the film and this is what we have to stop," Simmons said. "I just know by playing him in the past that when we get to him we have to make sure we get him down because we see him breaking out of sacks. He’s a dynamic player . . . I still think he’s a good quarterback and we’ve got a good task at our hand this weekend."
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans spot one flaw in Browns QB Deshaun Watson's game
