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Daniel Oyefusi, ESPN
BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns‘ new-look offense has gotten off to a slow start through three games, but quarterback Deshaun Watson doesn’t think using his legs more is the key to jump-starting the attack.
When asked Wednesday whether he wants more designed runs, Watson responded that he is “not a running back.”
“I’m not going in there to ask them for more designed runs. … If I don’t have to run, I’m not going to run,” Watson said. “I’m not trying to take any hits. … I’m not a running quarterback, in a sense. I can make things happen, but I’m not trying to run.
“I’m not a running back. It’s not my specialty. They signed me to throw the ball, make decisions and be a quarterback, not a runner.”
Through three games, the Browns are 24th in the NFL in rushing yards, averaging 95.7 per game. The Browns’ offense is averaging 3.8 yards per play, the second-worst mark in the NFL and the franchise’s third worst through the first three games of a season since returning to Cleveland in 1999, according to ESPN Research.
Watson has posted the second-lowest QBR in the NFL among qualified passers, behind only the Carolina Panthers‘ Bryce Young.
During his time with the Houston Texans from 2017 to 2021, Watson’s 1,677 rushing yards ranked sixth among all quarterbacks. According to ESPN Research, only 405 of those 1,677 rushing yards in Houston came on designed runs, though. Watson has three designed runs this season, which is tied for 13th among quarterbacks.
“I won’t say that it won’t help out the offense as far as just a run game,” he said. “But coming back from [shoulder surgery], I don’t think that is high priority for [coach Kevin Stefanski] to put me in that situation.”
Watson continued by saying that if he were to suffer an injury on a designed run, Stefanski likely would face heightened scrutiny, describing it as “a lose-lose situation, honestly.”