Time to get smart

It's time. Time for the Browns to do the correct thing and seriously think about shutting down Deshaun Watson for the rest of the 2023 season instead of waffling and hoping and praying on a weekly basis when the inevitable is right in front of them.

Shut him down before he really gets hurt to the point where his future is threatened. Time to stop playing games with the media and fans. The young man is injured badly enough where it has been a month since he's been able to ply his craft with any degree of success.

The Browns tried to find out Sunday in Indianapolis against the Colts and the results were worse than horrendous. They were embarrassing. Head coach Kevin Stefanski finally saw enough after four possessions and yanked him, in spite of his protestations, to insure he wouldn't get roughed up more.

Fact is, Watson should never have played. He should have taken at least another week or two off. To say he was confused, indecisive and wildly inaccurate with his passes would be a gross understatement. He had a bull's-eye on his back and the Colts hit it often and hit it hard. He did not belong on that field.

This is no longer a day-to-day situation. So stop with that nonsense. The public relations aspect of this entire matter is being totally mishandled, leaning more toward hope than reality. 

At best, it is becoming more month-to-month and even then there are few signs that indicate Watson's recovery process is improving. The season is getting shorter and the wealthy quarterback is stuck in a whirlwind of frustration.

The good news from the Browns Wednesday was an MRI revealed no damage to the affected area (strained rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder) from the Colts game. The better news was P. J. Walker, who relieved Watson in the 39-38 victory, will start Sunday against the Seahawks in Seattle.

Better news? Only comparatively. Walker is better right now than either of the other two quarterbacks on the roster. He's healthy and a veteran of the NFL wars. Not exactly worthy of any degree of optimism.

Fans could argue Walker was the quarterback of record in the last two games, victories that elevated the Browns to 4-2 and back in the hunt in the AFC North. So why be so negative about the guy? Easy. 

The Browns would be 2-4 today if the rookie kicker for the San Francisco 49ers had not missed an easy 41-yard field goal in the final seconds 10 days ago; and if officials in the secondary Sunday in Indianapolis had not pulled yellow laundry out of their pockets and tossed them for calls that were bogus at best.

The only reason Walker gets the nod over Dorian Thompson-Robinson is because Stefanski does not trust the rookie. Who could blame him after what happened to the kid a month ago against Baltimore when Watson shut himself down before that game to trigger this growing saga.

So buckle up for many more chapters in the weeks to come. By then, it's anybody's guess where the Browns will be in the AFC North standings.