### Deshaun Watson's Struggles Lead to Historic Lows for Browns

Deshaun Watson's performance on the field has reached an unprecedented low, rendering him not just the worst starting quarterback currently in the NFL but historically poor. Once a quarterback who burst onto the NFL scene with 19 touchdowns in his first seven games and impressive seasons to follow, Watson has dramatically declined. The nadir was Cleveland's most recent defeat, a crushing 34-13 loss to the Washington Commanders. Following the game, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski maintained his support, saying, "we're not changing quarterbacks. We need to play better. I need to coach better."

The decision seems influenced from higher up in the organization, notably owner Jimmy Haslam, who offered Watson a $230 million fully guaranteed contract in 2022. Regardless, Watson remains the starting quarterback, despite a historically bad start. Watson is averaging -0.30 EPA (Expected Points Added) per dropback, the lowest for any Browns quarterback within Weeks 1-5 since at least 2000. To put it in perspective, Watson's performance also ranks poorly in the NFL context, with a bottom-10 EPA per dropback average among quarterbacks since 2000, alongside names like Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell.

The once-promising quarterback is clearly struggling. Stefanski, a coach with two NFL Coach of the Year awards under his belt (2020 and 2023), saw better results with other quarterbacks. Amari Cooper, who caught 83 passes for 1,153 yards last season, and a still-talented offensive roster indicate the team’s struggles are not solely on them. However, Watson's confidence appears shattered, possibly due to lingering arm issues, leading to delayed decision-making and frequent errors.

Highlighting Watson’s deteriorating performance, instances from recent games show him unable to execute basic quarterback tasks effectively. Missed opportunities with open receivers and poor reads are becoming the norm. For example, during a strip sack against the Commanders, Watson hesitated to throw to an open Elijah Moore and ended up overwhelmed by the defense. On another play, he fled the pocket prematurely, ignoring likely completion opportunities.

Watson's struggles aren't just physical but also mental, showing signs of "seeing ghosts" — leaving the pocket unnecessarily, indicative of a shaken confidence and poor field processing. Even seasoned quarterbacks shouldn't make these mistakes, but Watson, with over 3,700 combined collegiate and NFL pass attempts, is faltering regularly.

In conclusion, the Browns appear trapped by Watson’s gargantuan contract, yet his on-field inefficiency is hard to overlook. The team receives negative expected points on every dropback Watson makes. Though financially taxing, the best move for Cleveland might be to bench Watson and give Jameis Winston a chance. Unlike the currently afflicted Watson, Winston at least exudes passing confidence, something desperately needed in Cleveland's offense right now.