Back in the late 2010s, Deshaun Watson was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The Jacksonville Jaguars had to face him twice a year and continuously struggled against him. But even after the Houston Texans traded Watson to the Cleveland Browns, he kept giving the Jags trouble. The good news is that they will have a golden opportunity to buck the trend when they face him in Week 1 of the regular season.
Jacksonville will play the Browns in Week 1, and Watson will be the starting quarterback. In past years, this would be an issue because he has a 7-1 record against the Jags and hasn't lost a game against them. However, he's no longer the quarterback he was with the Texans, so they'll be able to end this skid.
The Jaguars are looking to end the losing skid vs. Deshaun Watson in Week 1
Before the regular season, Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said that he wouldn't overlook Deshaun Watson, noting that he didn't have much success against him when he faced him in college. He hasn't changed his tune, noting that having to game plan for a Todd Monken offense is always a challenge.
"It's always a challenge when you get new staff, and you're going back, you're watching tape of coach Monken's team in Baltimore, and then you're obviously watching the preseason and watching the players that are going to be out there," Campanile told reporters ahead of Week 1 ( 5:36 mark). "And like you said, there's new players as well. So getting to know those guys and knowing the personnel, that's a challenge."
Campanile continued, "But I think they definitely upgraded all of their personnel offensively, offensive line, the skill positions, and obviously getting a great player back at quarterback, and obviously there'll be some new things that are different in the system offensively. So it's a challenge on pretty much every level."
Based on Campanile's remarks, his biggest concern isn't Watson himself but rather the fact that he'll be playing in Monken's scheme.
For his part, Watson isn't paying too much attention to his winning streak against the Jags and is instead focused on the upcoming game.
The Browns traded three first-round picks for Deshaun Watson in 2021. So far, they haven't gotten a solid return on their investment, as the 2017 first-round pick has struggled with injuries and inconsistency throughout his stint in Berea. In 19 starts, he's completed 61.2 percent of his throws for 3,365 yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
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The Jaguars defense can defeat Deshaun Watson
Of course, the Jaguars cannot afford to take Deshaun Watson lightly. Todd Monken will build a game plan around his strenghts and try to mask his limitations as much as possible. For instance, Watson isn't nearly as mobile as he was early in his career, and Monken will probably ask him to get rid of the football as fast as possible to neutralize the Jacksonville pass rush.
That's where the Jags must neutralize Quinshon Judkins and the Cleveland running game. That will make the Browns' offense predictable, which will, in turn, present opportunities to create turnovers.
There's no such thing as a guaranteed win in the NFL, but if the Jaguars stick to fundamentals and execution, they have the talent to defeat Deshaun Watson and the Browns.
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