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Todd Monken says it's 'unfair' to put Browns struggles on Deshaun Watson

Following a lopsided opening-week defeat against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken defended Deshaun Watson, stating it is wrong to hold the quarterback solely accountable for the squad's difficulties. Watson had previously been named the Week 1 starter on August 24, as Monken opted for the experienced signal-caller rather than giving the nod to second-year passer Shedeur Sanders.

Watson entered the contest after working back from an Achilles tear alongside past hurdles with the franchise.

The decisive loss featured poor showings on both offense and defense, prompting immediate criticism from supporters and commentators over the choice to bench Sanders in favor of Watson. Monken's postgame defense of Watson drew further fan pushback online, even as the first-year head coach had also spent time fulfilling a young fan's wish ahead of his Cleveland debut.