Taking to Twitter on Sunday, LeBron James praised the performance of Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
CLEVELAND — It was a tale of two halves for Deshaun Watson on Sunday. And LeBron James took notice.
While the Cleveland Browns quarterback completed just three of eight pass attempts for 23 yards while taking four sacks in the first half of his team’s matchup with the Washington Commanders, the three-time Pro Bowl selection managed to shake off the sluggish start. By game’s end, Watson had completed nine of of 18 pass attempts for 169 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to adding 31 rushing yards, in what marked his best performance in a Browns uniform.
Taking to Twitter during what was ultimately a Cleveland 24-10 win, James praised the Clemson product’s play, posting: “Yessir D Watson!! Another one. That boy getting his rhythm back! #Browns”
The NBA superstar’s reference to Watson’s “rhythm” alludes to the on-field struggles that the 27-year-old signal-caller had endured since making his Browns debut. After serving an 11-game suspension to open the 2022 season for violations of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy stemming from multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including harassment and assault, Watson made his Cleveland debut on Dec. 4 against his former team, the Houston Texans.
In his first four games, Watson struggled to find his footing, as evidenced by the Browns offense failing to score multiple touchdowns in any game with him under center. But while Sunday started with more of the same, by the end of the game, Cleveland’s quarterback looked like he had regained his Pro Bowl form.
“I just think he, like everybody, you just want to continue to progress, and I think that is what you are seeing with Deshaun,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “I thought obviously in that second half he made a lot of plays. Made plays that were designed. Made plays off schedule. Designed runs, had a really nice one there on second down up the middle and broke free to the outside. You saw him making a lot of football plays. At the end of the day, obviously that is what you are looking for from your quarterback.”