Watson was carted off the field late in the first half after hurting his Achilles. Dorian Thompson-Robinson replaced him, but proved ineffective.
CLEVELAND — An already catastrophic season has only gotten worse.
The Browns lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 21-14 on Sunday, extending their losing streak to five and dropping their 2024 record to 1-6. Yet even that was overshadowed by the status of quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was carted off the field late in the first half with an Achilles injury.
Attempting to lead a game-tying drive, Watson tucked the ball to run before going down on the turf without being touched. He clutched his right leg as his teammates came out to show their compassion, before he was wheeled to the locker room in what could very well be the last time he wears a uniform this year.
Prior to kickoff, Cleveland’s coaching staff had promoted Dorian Thompson-Robinson to the backup role, supplanting Jameis Winston. The former dual-threat star at UCLA in his second year of pro ball struggled to get into a groove, as the Browns’ overall offensive woes continued.
Though he did run for 44 yards on three carries, Thompson-Robinson completed only 11 of 24 passes for 82 yards and two interceptions, equaling a paltry passer rating of 19.8. He was replaced by Winston in the final minutes after injuring his hand, and Winston was able to find David Njoku for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 1:27 left. However, the Bengals recovered the onside kick and were able to kneel on the ball to preserve the victory.