The Pittsburgh Steelers currently play in arguably the most competitive division in football, the ruthless AFC North. This division features incredible quarterback play from the Baltimore Ravens with Lamar Jackson, the Cincinnati Bengals with Joe Burrow, and the Cleveland Browns with Deshaun Watson.
AP
Cam Heyward takes down Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson during a Pittsburgh Steelers game.
Watson faced numerous civil lawsuits, leading to an 11-game suspension during the 2022 season. The Browns paid him $230 million for a five-year deal. In his two seasons with the Browns, Watson has only played in 12 games due to his suspension and injuries. He has led the Browns to an 8-4 record, completed 59.8% of his passes, thrown for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
While Watson has yet to prove he is deserving of the substantial contract, many Browns fans and players still have incredible faith in him to lead Cleveland. His teammate, guard Wyatt Teller, recently spoke with Tyler Dunne of Go Long in a Q&A session. During the conversation, Teller was asked about Watson's early comparisons to Patrick Mahomes and his subsequent struggles. Teller believes Watson still has Mahomes-like talent.
“I’ve seen glimpses, I’ve seen flashes of absolute greatness. I know that putting a whole game together is really frickin’ hard, especially at the helm of quarterback. But even in the Ravens game, I mean, he was doing what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it.”
Anytime you mention a quarterback in the same breath as Mahomes, you're going to face scrutiny. Mahomes has dominated the NFL and is on pace to challenge Tom Brady for the greatest of all-time status if he continues to win Super Bowls and perform at his current level.
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Browns QB Deshaun Watson gets brought down by Steelers' Alex Highsmith.
Watson's career started off strong in his first four seasons with the Houston Texans, making three Pro Bowl teams and putting up impressive numbers for a young quarterback. However, since being suspended by the NFL, Watson has struggled to return to that level of play. Injuries and the challenge of getting back into routine after a long absence have likely slowed him down.
Despite this, Teller believes Watson is poised for a massive year and is confident that his quarterback still has Mahomes-like talent.
“I would love to say he has glimpses of Patty Mahomes. Patty Mahomes is a once-in-a-lifetime guy. I mean, he’s insane. And he has great outlets, he has great receivers, he has a great defense. He has all these different things around him to make him better. But he is the truth. I believe that Deshaun has that. I truly do. I’ve seen glimpses of it.”
Steelers fans will get an up-close look at Watson, the Browns, and the entire AFC North during the in-season version of Hard Knocks set for the 2024 season. The AFC North is widely known as the most competitive division in football, with all four teams having a legitimate chance to win the division.
Steelers Have Done Well Against Deshaun Watson
Steelers fans are hoping Watson continues to struggle, improving their team's outlook for the 2024 season. Conversely, Browns fans are hoping Watson dominates and proves he is worth the money. Watson has stated that he knows how to play well against the Steelers' defense, but his performance against them since joining the Browns tells a different story. In two games against the Steelers, Watson has thrown three interceptions and lost both games.
AP Photo / Matt Freed
Steelers' TJ Watt sacks Browns' Deshaun Watson in Pittsburgh, PA.
The Steelers' AFC North play doesn't start until Week 11, but fans are eagerly anticipating watching their new-look team compete in the best division in football. Many pundits are writing the Steelers off, but you can never count out a Mike Tomlin-led team.
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