1. Stefanski knows Watson will be ‘more comfortable’
There’s no doubt in Stefanski’s mind that Deshaun Watson will be a better QB to start 2023 than he was in his first six games last season.
The reasons why are obvious — the Browns will have a normal offseason and training camp, one that won’t be spent planning around a QB change in the middle of the season. Watson also has already built some chemistry with receivers, although that will need to be refined over the course of offseason practices and training camp.
Stefanski also has a better grasp of what works for Waston, and Waston has a better understanding of what plays from Stefanski fit him best. That should create a smoother environment for offseason practices as the Browns test what plays will work best in actual games.
“I would say he’s going to be way more comfortable,” Stefanski said. “It (was) a new offense, it (was) a new verbiage, those types of things. Year 2 now for him, he’ll be more comfortable. I think the big piece is getting comfortable with your teammates. There’s no substitute for reps. There’s no substitute for practice reps or game reps, so I think all those are valuable.”
Stefanski highlighted sharp throws Watson made in wins against the Ravens in Week 15 and Commanders in Week 17 as evidence of the talent Watson can bring every game. Yes, there was always going to be rust for him to knock off after missing over two season’s worth of games, but Stefanski has always been confident that Watson would re-discover his full array of talents, and he feels particularly positive about that with a full offseason ahead.
“I think confidence for me comes from seeing him, and I’ve seen him do it,” Stefanski said.
“I saw him do it in those games last season. I know it wasn’t perfect. I certainly wasn’t perfect. We weren’t perfect around him, and, as we all know, it’s not a one man show. It’s a team game, and we didn’t have as much team success as we would’ve liked late in the season there. But I’ve seen it…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at News…