00:00The Browns win 21-18. He had 67 yards passing through three quarters.
00:06Turned it on in the fourth quarter. Browns ended up winning their 2-1.
00:10Watson ended up 16-30, 144 yards, two touchdowns.
00:15Overall, what would you grade him, Tone?
00:18Would I grade Deshaun?
00:20Yeah.
00:21I think the fourth quarter drive took it from
00:26a D-plus, C-minus to maybe B-minus?
00:30There you go.
00:30I think a lot of people might be feeling the same way.
00:32But honestly, I don't even know if it's more about grades and how well he did.
00:36I think there's a lot of emotions here.
00:38It's almost too emotional to be cerebral about his play.
00:41Deshaun Watson did speak in the postgame to Fox.
00:45Now, we have some postgame comments from him coming up here in a moment,
00:48but this was his interview on Fox in the postgame.
00:51Who was it with?
00:53With Jen Hale.
00:54He was with Jen Hale on Fox, and this is what his –
00:57he was asked about the fans, and this is what he had to say about the fans.
01:00This is the next chapter in your comeback story.
01:03After fans here cheered an injury, booed you in the preseason,
01:06they were showering you with love after that touchdown.
01:09What would you want to say to them today?
01:11Man, I love them.
01:12I love Cleveland.
01:13This is awesome.
01:14I know we've been through some ups and downs.
01:16Trust me.
01:16I wish there were better days, but if we look for it
01:20and we build off this win, come back Thursday night, get another big one,
01:24we can make something special for this city, and that's what it's all about.
01:28You know, the past is the past.
01:29I'm looking for it.
01:30I'm present in the moment right now, and I enjoy it today.
01:34You know, I've got to make better.
01:35They want to see great performance, and that's why we've got to give it to them.
01:38And that's why they, you know, spend the money to come watch us play,
01:41give them something to inspire the city for.
01:43So, Cleveland, let's go.
01:44Go Browns.
01:45He's willing to let bygones be bygones.
01:47Are fans going to be willing to let bygones be bygones?
01:49They will if you keep winning.
01:51This is just surreal to me.
01:53This whole thing.
01:54It is wild.
01:55This whole thing flipping to where it was.
01:57It is wild.
01:58Not only second half of the Buffalo game.
01:59Forget that.
02:00The third quarter of this game, the fans were teetering.
02:03Now, I don't think they were just booing Watson either.
02:05I think they were booing.
02:05No, I think they were booing the whole performance.
02:07Yeah, I didn't think they were just booing him.
02:09No.
02:10But, you know, he's the quarterback, and deservedly so.
02:13And all the stuff that I had said the past week about,
02:16I don't understand giving bad energy as a fan base and a home opener
02:21as they take the field.
02:23This was different.
02:24I'm like, yeah, if things are going south, then boo away.
02:27I mean, that's what you do.
02:28That's what athletes even expect it.
02:30I don't care what the dude had said, you know,
02:32when we were playing his audio from Green Bay and what was it,
02:34Lambeau Field.
02:35Like, yeah, when guys and things are going south,
02:38you do expect to get booed.
02:40So, at that point, what was funny is they were winning 10-9,
02:42and that's when the Boo Birds came out, and I'm like,
02:44ah, it is a young team.
02:46I don't know that I would be doing that, but I understood it.
02:49I certainly understood the emotional level of that.
02:52But to get to the end of the game, and he's coming off the field,
02:55and he looks like he had been in a 12-round fight.
03:00Like, he was staggering.
03:04I mean, he left the field.
03:05We didn't really—
03:06So he lost his breath on the hit.
03:07Yeah, we didn't even really talk about that.
03:08People thought he was just selling the hit to try to get the penalty,
03:12but he did leave the game.
03:13I don't think you're selling it to that degree where you're willing to give up
03:16the job for a play for Shador, and credit the Browns and Shador coming in.
03:21One play, I couldn't believe it was a throw.
03:23I couldn't believe they just—
03:25because every other team just runs the football in that scenario
03:27when it's a one-play thing.
03:29I let them fly.
03:30But then Deshaun Watson comes back in the game,
03:32and for him to stay composed and with everything,
03:35I wondered if the cage is rattled a little bit.
03:38Holy cow!
03:39What a turn of events!
03:40Well, this is what's going to make it even better,
03:42is here's Deshaun Watson in the postgame at the dais.
03:46This is on his emotions in the day and wanting to play perfect so badly.
03:50From the moment I woke up, just the anticipation, just the anxiousness,
03:55just everything, just to get in front of the fans, just to get here,
03:59just to get started.
04:00You know, I wanted to play perfect so bad, but, you know, it's the NFL,
04:03and that's the way, you know, the games kind of go, is ups and downs.
04:06The energy, the fans, it was amazing.
04:09You know, they kept believing in us.
04:10They kept the energy up.
04:11Overall, we didn't give up.
04:13We still fed off that energy.
04:14Now it sounds like he gets emotional here.
04:17We'll see what you feel about that.
04:18He continued about the fans here.
04:20He said he didn't hear boos.
04:21He only heard the cheers.
04:22I mean, it's great.
04:23You know, I just wanted to finish the job for him.
04:25Yeah, it was the one moment I got a little teary-eyed,
04:27you know, just feeling that energy
04:28because, you know, I put so much work to get back here,
04:31you know, to be in this moment here,
04:33to be able to show that I can finish these drives,
04:35finish these games, and get Ws for the city
04:37and this organization.
04:39This is what all the hard work and all the beliefs,
04:41the prayers, everything that I put myself through
04:43the last 22 months
04:44to be able to stand in front of the crowd
04:47and on that field to finish the job.
04:49Has the crowd turned for Watson?
04:51Have fans turned for Watson?
04:532-1-6-4-7-4-0092.
04:55I can't say no because you keep winning football games,
04:57and he's part of the big part of the reason
05:00why they win football games.
05:01I didn't think that they won in spite of him.
05:02I think the defense played tremendously yesterday.
05:06It can't be taken away.
05:08Like, we are so used to putting games
05:10on a quarterback's shoulders,
05:11and this guy won the game.
05:12He went down the field.
05:13He did it.
05:14I do think that this is a shared experience.
05:17It's easy for radio guys to sit there
05:19and put it on one guy.
05:20Good, bad, ugly, whatever it is.
05:22This is a shared experience.
05:23But, I mean, he's been the reason
05:25they've lost plenty of games before.
05:26He's been the reason why people have felt bad before.
05:28Or, we've been the reason he's felt bad before,
05:30and I don't think any Browns fan cared about that.
05:33When you win, though, things obviously change.
05:36When you win, though, when people think
05:37the team's going to be on the mat, things change.
05:39So, yeah, how could they not start to be on his side?
05:43Yes, I have more, let's say,
05:47I don't know, trust not the right word.
05:49I have more confidence in him than I did,
05:52you know, a week ago, two weeks ago, three weeks ago.
05:54I thought he was broken.
05:55I have, yes, for him to deal, again,
05:58a lot of it was stuff that, it was his creation.
06:01But for him to deal with all of that stuff
06:03and then wonder if everything was kind of teetering there
06:08in that stadium for a home opener,
06:10because we know where it could have gone.
06:12We know how badly it could have gone,
06:13and then it could have just been over for him.
06:15But instead, for him to come back and lead that drive,
06:18you know, that did show some confidence.
06:22I told you, like, he looked even a little more athletic
06:25than I thought he could be at this stage.
06:27He had that, on a third and three,
06:29he had that 21-yard run that was massive
06:32where he actually was galloping down the field
06:34in a way that I, it didn't look like
06:36he was capable of doing that.
06:37Like, even preseason when he broke off some runs,
06:40he was still getting tracked down.
06:42Like, that to me showed some confidence.
06:44I said that the ball skills,
06:45like the Patrick Mahomes stuff of him
06:48always being able to utilize on-the-run pump fakes
06:51and using your eyes to manipulate defenders,
06:54he was able to do that yesterday a lot.
06:56I mean, he had guys have free rush on him,
06:59and I thought, oh, no, like, this is not going to be good.
07:02And also, let's be honest, too.
07:04Like, we're talking about this offense right now
07:07is so off-kilter, Ken,
07:10that everything is freeform in the passing game.
07:15They cannot right now script five, seven-step drop,
07:21receiver makes a move, gets open,
07:23they protect it, him throw the ball complete.
07:25It's not a part of the offense right now.
07:28Everything is freeform.
07:29So, every football coach would tell you
07:32that's not sustainable.
07:33I think Todd Munkin would tell you.
07:34They're not going to be able to live this way.
07:37He's not going to be able to absorb the hits.
07:39You're going to see Shador Sanders pretty quickly
07:41if that's the whole offense.
07:43Well, it's weird you're saying that
07:44because this is the most hopeful I've felt for him
07:46since after the Ravens game.
07:48Like, I didn't know the injury was as severe as it was.
07:51Nobody knew.
07:52And I remember when they came in,
07:53and we were on camera when they came in
07:56and showed us the statement that he was hurt that Wednesday.
07:59Yeah, after the win.
08:00I have not had this type of hope for him since after that game.
08:04And that was a second-half performance as well.
08:06This was a fourth-quarter performance for him.
08:08You talk about protecting him.
08:10I do think in so many ways this is why, you know,
08:13when we had the quarterback controversy conversation
08:16over and over and over again during the late spring
08:19or late summer and early fall in training camp,
08:22this is part of it.
08:23Is the offensive line not too terribly great at times?
08:27He's able to escape.
08:28He's able to go get a first down.
08:31He's able to get on schedule with some of these guys.
08:33He's able to throw into windows that are anticipatory.
08:36I'm not going to sit there and say tight windows
08:38or anything like that.
08:39I still think he's getting his legs under him.
08:41I was surprised they took a couple of shots early,
08:43as they did in this football game,
08:45trying to loosen him up maybe a little bit there.
08:47But I can then turn right around and see why they did it.
08:50Like, they're still trying to bring him along,
08:52but he's also trying to bring along the offense in general as they are.
08:54When he is throwing a deep ball, he is taking shots.
08:57So, I mean, not only taking a shot down the field,
09:00he is getting crushed.
09:01And I'll tell you, the Concepcion play,
09:04I thought that might have been his best nails throw of the day,
09:08and it ended up as an almost interception.
09:09It would have been reviewed had it not have been a penalty.
09:12I'm still curious.
09:14Fox was way off on the play.
09:16They didn't know what was going on.
09:17They didn't even know there was a penalty that was thrown,
09:20and they never showed a really good look on whether the ball was really picked off.
09:23But I thought that throw was under duress, was a pretty damn good throw.
09:29And I thought Concepcion got interfered with a little bit,
09:32and it was right in the breadbasket.
09:33He had kind of tried to seal off the defender.
09:35I thought that was a pretty good throw.
09:37It seemed like it was forgotten.
09:39Between that and the second fan and touchdown was old Deshaun stuff.
09:44Yeah.
09:45Him climbing, you know, in pressure, climbing through the pocket.
09:49Yeah, because when he stepped back, both tackles were eventually beat.
09:51He had some time on it.
09:53And honestly, he had Fannin, or Fannin was kind of in the way of Concepcion,
09:56but Concepcion had his defender beat, too, and he gave them a great look.
10:02Well, here's what surprised me about the play, guys,
10:05is that those crossers take a lot of time to develop.
10:09You know, you're running quasi-pick plays.
10:12In that way, Fannin has to go the entire length of the goal line.
10:19Well, what do you need for that to happen?
10:21You need either the offensive line to block,
10:23or you need the quarterback to elongate the play on those crossers,
10:28and that took a long time.
10:30Who would have thought they'd been able to make that happen?
10:33Look at you.
10:33Is that pretty good?
10:34Nitty-gritty football.
10:35Nitty-gritty football.
10:36It's time.
10:36That's all I got, though.
10:37Nitty-gritty.
10:38Ken could do another steady second.
10:39Jameson Crowder wheel route down the right side.
10:41That's the problem.
10:41I'm done.
10:41Jordan Reed touchdown in a four-by-one individual ISO slant.
10:44Let's get down to the nitty-gritty.
10:46No, we already did.
10:46I was just going to go to the phones.
10:49Anthony.
10:49I feel a little too gritty.
10:50Yeah, exactly.
10:51Anthony in Cleveland.
10:52You're next up on the fan.
10:53Hello, Anthony.
10:55Hey, what's going on for the Super Bowl?
10:58Super Bowl!
10:59Super Bowl!
11:00Yeah!
11:01Yeah!
11:04Hey, man, hey.
11:05I'm stoked right now.
11:07You know, that was a great win yesterday.
11:09You know, the crowd was electric.
11:10I was at the game.
11:11First row of the dog pound, man.
11:13I mean, it was electric.
11:15You know, I just don't know how to feel about Deshaun, you know, his comments about the fans
11:21and everything.
11:22I'm starting to believe that maybe he actually believes that, you know, that he's starting
11:27to come around.
11:27I think in the moment he believes it.
11:29Listen, I know that there's always things like, when we start to break it down, like
11:33today's a fun day.
11:34Who was the caller earlier that was asking about what happens if we make the playoffs
11:38and stuff?
11:38It's like, all right, let's go one game at a time.
11:41But in the moment, like, I think everybody just wants to be happy.
11:45Browns fans want to win.
11:46He wants to win.
11:47He wants to be happy.
11:48He wants his teammates to be happy.
11:49When things are going well, when you overcome an opponent, it's very easy to be flowery
11:56with the language.
11:57I don't blame him whatsoever.
11:58He may go home and he may sit there and go, my God, and like start to be reminded of
12:02things.
12:03And you know what?
12:04We might start to be reminded of certain things for ourselves and who knows.
12:08But man, in the moment, to have success, it's great.
12:11So I don't think he's lying.
12:13I don't think he was not being real.
12:14I think he was genuine in that moment.
12:16Yes.
12:17I agree with you because I'll tell you what, there was a moment yesterday when he came
12:22out of that game, you know, when he lost his breath or whatever.
12:24When he came out of that game and Shadour came in, the crowd got excited, you know.
12:30And when he came, when Shadour came out and Deshaun came back in, there were some boos.
12:35I mean, there were, it was noticeable.
12:36So he said he didn't hear it or whatever.
12:38But, you know, I kind of find it hard to believe.
12:40But, you know, either way, he came back in and he did compose himself and he did, you
12:45know, he led us to that.
12:47That drive, that touchdown throw to Fanta, it was great, man.
12:50It was just an awesome atmosphere.
12:52I was, I was, I just love being a part of it, you know.
12:55And I just hope it, I hope it continues from here on out, man.
12:59You know, I think we got something special here.
13:00So we have talent.
13:02You know, he's starting to believe.
13:04And I believe him when he said he got teary-eyed and all that.
13:07I honestly believe that, you know.
13:10Anthony, it's interesting because I'll tell you this, and thank you very much for the call.
13:14We know he can be an emotional guy, Deshaun Watson.
13:18Axelrod, I didn't highlight it, and I found it where I wrote it in the notes.
13:20When I wrote Shador in, and he threw that swing to Quinchon Judkins right before the
13:26two-minute warning.
13:26Ben Axelrod.
13:27Social media reactions on Axelrod brought to you by...
13:29Shibin Jewelers, Cleveland's premier jewelry store.
13:31He wrote that there were boos when Watson came back into the game.
13:35There were several people trying to say that no, yeah.
13:39When they showed it in the crowd, they did show one person with the hand, the thumb down.
13:46That person did not want to see Deshaun Watson again.
13:49And it's weird because, like, that caller was there at the game, said there were boos.
13:53And then I was hearing on the postgame yesterday, people were saying they were cheering.
13:57So I think it was a split.
13:59I think there was an excitement that Shador was in because people don't know, is this
14:03Shador's game now?
14:04Is he going to come in relief and be the closer in this game?
14:07I got off...
14:08I'll tell you, I got off the couch quickly.
14:09I was on my feet, wondering what this was going to look like.
14:12I go, well, tomorrow is taken care of.
14:14You know, because either way, it was going to be amazing or it was going to be disastrous.
14:18But it only ended up being one play.
14:20If you're on your way to work, take us with you to work on the free Odyssey app.
14:23We got Lima likes coming up in just a few moments.
14:25The Guardians were in full celebration mode, and the only thing better than the radio call
14:30of a college win is the college radio call of a college win.
14:35Ken Carman, Lima likes, 745.
14:37Keep us with you on 92.3 The Fan, 92.3TheFan.com, the free Odyssey app.
14:42And if you're watching on YouTube, watch it on YouTube Live for absolutely free.
14:46Daisy Dips.
14:47You know what made yesterday's game even better?
14:49That we were winning the game and I wasn't stress eating.
14:52I was just enjoying it.
14:53So I was enjoying all the chippies and I was enjoying the pretzels.
14:56I got those pretzel sticks now.
14:57They're like buttered.
14:58They're fantastic.
14:59And I dip it in the Daisy Dip, in the Ranch Dip, in the French Onion Dip.
15:02French Onion Dip is fantastic.
15:04The Daisy French Onion Dip, unparalleled.
15:07The Daisy Ranch Dip, fantastic.
15:09Folks, you're going to love them both.
15:10So take my advice.
15:13People have been sending me the pictures.
15:15Okay?
15:15I know it.
15:16Go get yourself a tub.
15:18Go get a tub for everybody else.
15:20I'm telling you, you guys are going to love it.
15:22Get that Daisy Dip tonight.
15:23Get that Daisy Dip tonight.
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