QB Deshaun Watson (9.4.24)

Deshaun, I know it’s been a long hard road back since the surgery and everything, and it’s finally here. Can you just describe your emotions of what it feels like to be preparing for the (Dallas) Cowboys this week?

“Yeah, I think the emotions is super high just like everyone else. Just, you know, getting back for the first game, the start of the season, getting out there and just letting all the hard work that you put in, in the off season show on the field. And I think just to be back in the locker room, just be prepping again is one of my biggest wins this offseason, just to be able to make it back to week one. And be in the position I am to go out there and compete Sunday to help this team win.”

 

Deshaun, no one outside the locker room has seen this offense operate. So, is that an advantage for you guys headed to Sunday?

“Some people can say it is, some people can say it’s not. For us, we got to go execute. Regardless if it’s new or if it’s old. You know, I think week one is, you know every team has a lot of ideas, a lot of different things that they want to put in, but at the same time, you don’t know what the defense is going to do, also, especially with Dallas. So, it’s kind of a unique deal where they have a new defensive coordinator, we have a new offensive coordinator. So, two new systems going head-to-head. We just kind of got to figure it out and adjust as we go.”

 

Where do you think everyone’s confidence level is with the offense among you guys?

“Everyone is super confident. I think Kevin (Stefanski) and Ken (Dorsey) did a heck of a job this camp of you know, making sure we dial in everything that we’re super good at. Everything that we’re very efficient at. And just put out there and get the guys in the right place to, you know, make those plays. So, everyone is super confident in what the game plan is going in this week. You know, today is day two, one of that game plan. So, you know, we’re just putting it all in and just making sure we win the week before we get out there Sunday.”

 

There’s been a ton of talk about question marks around this offense and expectations and no one really knows what this is going to look like this year. What, for you, is your expectation for this offense as you look kind of like league wide?

“Just taking it one week at a time. Execute, go out there, score as many points as we possibly can to help this team win and at the end of the day have more points than the opponent. And I think that’s the biggest thing. If we can do that each and every week… we can’t focus on the games down the road or what we want to be at. We have our personal goals and obviously we have the big ultimate goal, but at the same time, you know, with the new system, with everyone trying to gel together, it’s a new year, we got to take it one week at a time, one game at a time. And if we can do that and focus on the game plan that Kevin and Ken put together, then we can go out there and be the high-power offense that we expect.”

 

Deshaun, as you look back or when you look ahead to this week one game, what do you kind of take from the six starts that you made last year and saying, like, ‘I want to continue to do that’ or something that, you know, you want to kind of leave in the past in terms of your play on the field in those six starts?

“Honestly, man, I don’t even look at those six starts. It’s a new year. It’s a new season. Regardless if you won MVP or if you didn’t play last year, it’s a new year. Every year is different in the NFL. So, you can’t go out there focusing on what happened last year, week two, week four, you got to focus on week one. And in this system, in this league, if you focus in on last year, then you’re going to get left behind. So you know, our main focus, especially mine, is focusing on Dallas and what I can do on Sunday to help this team win.”

 

When we looked out, or at least when I looked out, in practice during training camp and saw you with all of your skill players out there at the same time, you know, either Jerry (Jeudy) was out or Amari (Cooper) or David (Bell) or someone. Now that you finally have everybody back, how do you feel about how it’s coming together? And have you had enough time to really, you know, time on task to pull it all together with those guys?

“It’s been good to have all those guys out there. I mean, each one do a little bit of something different with their skill set, but all of them are capable of making big plays. And just having the whole crew out there is definitely fun. It’s definitely, you know, we only have one football, so, you know, as I tell them, the open guy is going to get it first. And if we can all have that approach of everyone want to win their route, win their concept, and win their matchup, then wherever the ball finds that receiver, then is your opportunity to make that play. So, you know, it’s super cool and, you know, we just got to go out there. Like I said before, it’s week one. So a lot of people are trying to adjust to the new systems or, you know, going out there playing in a new year. And I think we got to just go out there, take it one play at a time, and let the game come to us.”

 

Deshaun, what motivates you the most at this point in your career?

“Just being the best I can be, just being the best Deshaun Watson can be for myself and then just for the team. And I think that’s what it is, it’s just self motivation.”

 

We’ve seen you play at the highest level at Clemson and then again in the NFL. Do you feel like you still are among the elite quarterbacks in this league?

“Of course, no doubt.”

 

Deshaun, we haven’t talked to you since the day where you stopped throwing in that one practice. And I know you came back the next day, but did you have any concern when you had that, what Kevin called, soreness in the arm?

“No, it wasn’t even… I could have finished the practice, but it was the medical’s decision where they just told me, any type of soreness or anything you’re feeling, then just, we’re going to take the high roll and not try to push anything to make anything further. The key is to play 17-plus games, not finish training camp, and try to be, you know, superhero at the time. So that was pretty much it. But so far, I’ve been well and just taking it one day at a time.”

 

Have you had any limitations on the arm?

“No, there’s never been any limitations.”

 

We’ve watched you progress since May and you’ve been getting better and better. Was there a juncture there where you felt, like, kind of a crossroads where ‘I got to make this throw’, I got to do such and such to know that I can get back to who I can be’?

“The biggest was in May, was in spring, that was my goal. You know, when we first had the surgery back in November, no one knew exactly where it was going to lead to. It could have been now as we sit here today, or it could have been, you know, a whole year, which would have been in November. So it was very broad, but I challenged myself to get back to this moment right now, and I want to make every throw in the spring. And I did that. I was able to make every throw that Dr. (Neal) ElAttrache, you know, put out there on the table for me. And I was able to do that before spring broke. And so going into the summer and training camp, you know, everything else was just kind of just building the strength and just building the endurance with the shoulder.”

Deshaun, can you talk about just the excitement? You know, Dak is starting, obviously, for the Cowboys. You versus Dak. I know you’re not playing each other, but the magnitude of the game. Nationally televised, Tom Brady in town, at home. Can you just kind of describe the emotion and the magnitude of what you’re about to face on Sunday?

“I mean, for me, it’s just going out there and just playing football. I mean, all that outside stuff is for pretty much for the fans and everybody like that. But for me, it’s just going out there and just playing football and focusing on how can I execute against the Dallas defense. The outside noise and outside magnitude stuff, I don’t get into any of that. So, I just lock in on my duties and what I got to do.”

 

 If you have to get into a shootout with Dak, are you up for that?

“I’m up for any challenge. So, I’m not afraid of anything.”

 

Deshaun, Stefanski mentioned to us all that he thought this was an offseason where you worked in a way that you were more prepared than maybe you’ve been in a while coming in from like an off season into a season. Do you agree with that and maybe what was different about the way you attacked this offseason? I know the rehab was part of that, but just what was different that allowed him to kind of feel like you’re in a really good spot to be better?

“Yeah, we went back to the basics. Started from scratch. You know, you said the injury definitely helped just because, you know, I had to start over; throwing motion, mechanics, taking care of my body, eating right, getting with Billy, getting with Doctor Rob, Quincy (Avery) all those guys, and just focusing on, ‘okay, what do I need to do to get back to that elite level and feeling good each and every week?’ And I think we really, you know, locked in on that. We sat down together, we put out a plan and we followed that plan and that process. And I feel really, really well, I feel very explosive, locked in on my tasks, on the game, endurance, everything. So, I’m excited to go out there and show what I got on Sunday and with all the hard work that I’ve put in. So I definitely agree with him. We all on the same page and like I said, just really just going back to the basics and start from the bottom and just building up from there.”

 

A lot of uncertainty at the left tackle position. Has coach shared a plan with you on, you know, who is going to be protecting your blind side?

“Yeah, I mean, we got a couple ideas. Of course, it can be James (Hudson III), it can be Jack (Conklin). You know, whoever is in is going to play at a high level. You know, I have trust in both of those guys and whoever else is in that rotation. And yeah, we just have to see on Sunday with who we roll out there with and whoever we roll out there with is going to play at a high level with the other four guys and we’re going to be ready to roll.”

 

Historically, you’ve been a guy that takes a lot of hits and has been — your sack numbers, even in Houston, were pretty high. Why do you think that is?

“I get why you’re saying that. I think the sack number was high my first year, first two years. So, I guess if you count that outside of that, I think the last two years in Houston wasn’t as high. And then the last two years, I mean, it just, it comes with the game. It comes with part of the game. Extending plays, I’m that type of quarterback that extends plays just like a lot of other quarterbacks around the league, and I think that my ability to be able to extend plays can be a big shot. So, it’s the risk you take within the offense and sometimes you just got to pick your spots and, you know, the defense gets us and sometimes we get the defense.”

 

How much of the sack responsibility goes on a quarterback versus an offensive line? Like, what’s the blame pie there?

“What’s the blame? I mean, as a quarterback, you always take the blame. So, you know, you put the blame, for me, it’s 100% quarterback. You know, I don’t ever put the blame on o-line or any of those guys. So, I got to get rid of the ball. I got to throw the ball away, I got to make something happen, make the first guy miss, make a throw or something like that. But, yeah, I mean, we don’t really lock in too much on that. We just, like I said, try to execute a plan and get the ball out into our skill guys and let them go make plays.”

 

Power rankings Deshaun, where I think ESPN has you guys middle of the pack, a lot of projections don’t have you guys making the playoffs this year. We’ve already talked about how your rankings from all the experts are very low. So I’m just wondering, how do you feel about the whole national world really not buying into the Cleveland Browns this season as a Super Bowl contender?

“It’s fine with us. It’s perfect. We’re just going to go under the radar and work. That’s all we can do. We don’t get into all the power rankings and people’s opinions. It’s the NFL. Things change, teams change, rankings change. So, you know, it’s Week One. You know, the key is to be the best team in Week 17, each week you gotta get better. And I think that the teams that do that, you see them, you know, rise to the top and end up in that final game. And that’s why we got to take that approach.”

 

Putting the outside noise to the side. Tom Brady’s calling this game. Are you at all interested to see what he might have to say about how you’re playing?

“As far as just like…I mean, I won’t get to see him, I’ll talk to him Friday. But of course, I mean, I’ve always been a big fan of Tom Brady since I came into this league, before I even came into this league. But when I came into the league, the relationship that we had through Bill O’Brien and kind of New England feel, we used to, during training camp have joint practice with those guys, sent me his book that he wrote, his jersey, all that type of stuff. So, outside of all the outside noise, yeah, that’s the pretty cool thing about it, it’s his first game, you know, is being our game. So, I think that’s pretty dope.”

 

You talked about obviously, throughout the offseason, the plan that you guys have had in place for your rehab and your recovery, but up until this point, as you head into the season, how has that plan evolved now that you are getting into the regular season?

“We just have to just adjust the schedule, but the plan is still the same; just continue. You know, at this point going into the season, yes, nine, 10 months, whatever it is, you know, I’m feeling really good. But that’s the time where you really build that strength and you continue to work at it, and then, you know, you get it back even better than it was before. And I think that’s the key to it. And me being disciplined to stand on top of that rehab and that process, and each and every day, I’m doing something to make it better.”