Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson had a rough game against the New York Jets.
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Deshaun Watson’s recent turnaround took a hit against the New York Jets, and his latest grade reflected how far the Cleveland Browns offense fell.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski gave Watson a D. The assessment followed Cleveland’s 17-12 loss Sunday, which ended a three-game winning streak and exposed problems well beyond the quarterback.
“Deshaun Watson didn’t keep his streak of playing well going against the New York Jets. At the same time, the Cleveland Browns offense didn’t play well around its quarterback,” Sobleski wrote. “Monken’s offense failed at every level. Watson must play better, but blame can be spread to every position group.”
Justin Herbert, Tyler Shough and Cam Ward received Fs, placing them below Watson among regular starters. Watson’s cumulative grade sits at C- this season, with an F from his Week 1 outing still weighing on his overall assessment.
The Browns had worked their way out of that opening loss with three consecutive victories. Sunday was a reminder that their offense still has considerable work to do.
Deshaun Watson Takes Step Back Against Jets
Cleveland Browns v New York Jets
GettyEAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – OCTOBER 11: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during the second quarter of the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 11, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Watson completed 15 of 33 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown against New York. He avoided an interception but fumbled three times, losing one, and finished with a 69.6 passer rating.
The pressure was relentless. Watson took eight sacks after being sacked six times combined during Cleveland’s previous three victories. Against Pittsburgh in his previous outing, he completed 24 of 33 passes for 268 yards.
“Let’s just say this, eight sacks is a season-high,” head coach Todd Monken told reporters. “I hope like hell the rest of the time I’m here, we don’t have a game we have eight sacks.”
There was still a moment when Watson appeared capable of rescuing an otherwise frustrating afternoon. With Cleveland trailing in the fourth quarter, he helped extend a drive with a 20-yard scramble before finding rookie receiver Denzel Boston for a 29-yard touchdown. The connection gave the Browns their first lead, although a missed extra point left the advantage at 12-10.
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That proved to be Cleveland’s only touchdown. The Browns finished with a season-low 198 net yards, leaving little room to survive the mistakes that followed.
Todd Monken Points to Broader Browns Offensive Problems
Cleveland Browns v New York Jets
GettyEAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – OCTOBER 11: Head coach Todd Monken of the Cleveland Browns looks on prior to the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 11, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Watson’s performance deserved scrutiny, but Cleveland’s inability to establish the running game made an already difficult afternoon worse.
Quinshon Judkins managed 44 yards on 14 carries, averaging 3.1 yards per attempt. Watson himself supplied another 40 rushing yards, accounting for a substantial portion of the Browns’ 96-yard total.
Monken pointed to the ground game as a problem that affected the entire offense, leaving Cleveland in difficult down-and-distance situations and limiting what he could call.
“We got to be able to run the football to control the game. It starts up front,” Monken said.
Even with those struggles, Cleveland’s defense delivered an opportunity to close out another win. Carson Schwesinger’s late strip-sack of Geno Smith gave the ball back to the Browns with the lead.
The offense responded with a three-and-out. A mishandled punt snap then handed New York possession at Cleveland’s 23-yard line, setting up Braelon Allen’s go-ahead touchdown run.
The Browns return home to face the Baltimore Ravens on October 18 in a critical AFC North contest.
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J.R. DeGroote Browns beat writer for Heavy.com. Covering the NFL and NBA since 2019. ASU Cronkite grad. More about J.R. DeGroote
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