The contrast between Commanders and Browns – particularly at QB and play caller – couldn’t be clearer

(Editor's note: This is an excerpt from Mike Sando's Pick Six from October 7, 2024.)

The Washington Commanders' 34-13 win over the Cleveland Browns showed two extremes in the karma continuum.

The Commanders' marriage between offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Jayden Daniels seems carefully planned, almost fated. It was a perfect combination to maximize production immediately. Daniels leads the league in EPA per pass on an offense that averages 31 points per game. The Washington franchise is reborn and full of hope.

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The Browns' marriage between coach Kevin Stefanski, new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and quarterback Deshaun Watson feels forced, awkward and increasingly hopeless. Watson ranks 31st in EPA per pass play for an offense averaging 14.2 points per game. Cleveland feels stuck.

“The problem is, what are they doing to cheer for the team?” said a manager from another team. “Your hands are tied.”

Watson's contract makes it that way for now.

“We don’t change quarterbacks,” Stefanski said.

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Watson's EPA per pass game ranks 618th out of 621 quarterbacks who started the first five games of a season since 2000. The table below shows where all qualified Browns quarterbacks rank among the 621. Brian Hoyer never knew how much he would be missed. (Not pictured, 2023 Browns graduate Joe Flacco, who now has five touchdown passes, no interceptions and a 115.6 passer rating for Indianapolis.)

For years, Stefanski ran run-oriented offenses to protect the quarterback from difficult situations. From 2018 to 2023, his offenses in Minnesota and Cleveland ended on early downs 51 percent of the time in the first 28 minutes of play, before time and point differential had a greater impact on play. The Browns' rate this season is 63 percent, good for third place in the Cook Index through five games.

“It's like they want to be Kansas City and they're just forcing it,” said a defensive coordinator from another team.

Cleveland has taken this route with Watson in the lineup. The pass rate in those situations was 46 percent with Watson in the lineup in six games in 2022 and 53 percent in the six games he started last season.

From a distance, it appears as if the Browns are making an organizational decision to open up their offense with Watson in order to justify the $230 million they committed to him.

“You tried to protect Joe Flacco last year by trading him away,” said an offensive line coach from another team. “With that quarterback (Watson) you can supposedly do whatever you want, so you try, but it’s not in your DNA. It's cool when it works, but when it doesn't work, the guys stand around and look at each other and say, 'Wait a minute, why are we doing this?'”

The absence of running back Nick Chubb is part of the equation. Cleveland also added Dorsey, the former Bills coordinator who enjoyed success in Buffalo but also leaned toward the pass (Buffalo has become more run-oriented since his departure). The Browns, whose offensive line was plagued by injuries for the second straight year, also lost celebrated line coach Bill Callahan to Tennessee. His voice could have been strong.

“I don’t know what they’re doing,” another manager said. “No identity. Maybe it's because Chubb isn't there. They can't help but take a step back without Callahan. It doesn’t look like this was Stefanski’s offense.”

Chubb returned to practice this week as he recovered from a serious knee injury. We'll see if anything changes once he's back in the lineup.

(Photo by Deshaun Watson: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)

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