Week 9: Fact or Fiction

Let's judge the Week 9 narratives surrounding the Cleveland Browns performance against the Los Angeles Chargers.

(Photo - Getty)

In the world of professional football, the line between imagination and reality can easily get blurry, often creating false narratives around players, teams, or specific games. Personal biases and the limited view from the game feed can also contribute to these distorted views. But rest easy, Browns fans, each week we’ll get to the truth of the matter through film analysis and game data in a series we’re calling “Fact or Fiction.”

Let’s get this going.

(Photo - Cleveland Browns)

“Deshaun Watson wasn’t the problem.”

A confirmation bias exists among the supporters of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. When things go well in his absence, the narrative is along the lines of “the play calling was better,” “the offensive line allowed less pressure,” or “the wide receivers did not drop the ball.” When things go awry, the refrain becomes, “see, he wasn’t the problem all along.” The truth, as usual, lies somewhere in between.