Browns' Deshaun Watson decision is a blessing in disguise for Kevin Stefanski

Part of the reason Kevin Stefanski was fired by the Cleveland Browns was his lack of faith in Deshaun Watson.

You can chalk things up to the 8-26 record across his last two seasons or working with one of the most incompetent franchises in football, but Watson's regression played a factor too. His dramatic fall-off was part of the reason the Atlanta Falcons were so keen to give Stefanski a second chance.

Unfortunately, even with Stefanski out of the building, the Browns never learned their lesson. It came out earlier that Watson won Cleveland's quarterback battle over Shedeur Sanders and will start Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars even though he has been a total nightmare in training camp. There's a reason the entire Browns' fanbase is lambasting this decision.

Here's what we need to remember: Kevin Stefanski never wanted to make the blockbuster deal for Deshaun Watson. He would've been perfectly content rolling with Baker Mayfield, but GM Andrew Berry and owner Jimmy Haslam were the ones who pushed for it despite the coach's objections.

The Falcons' QB concerns don't hold a candle to what's happening in Cleveland

Not only did Cleveland trade the farm to get him, they gave him a five-year, full-guaranteed contract extension worth $230 million So you couple that with the fact he has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL ever since, no wonder this is one of the worst trades in NFL history.

Even if you take the off-field mess out of it, he never recorded a passer rating above 85 with the Browns and he has a twice-torn Achilles. Todd Monken still chose Watson over Sanders despite doing his best Buddy Valastro impression with all of the turnovers he's responsible for this summer.

Haslam himself even labeled the trade a miss last year, but backtracked due to the lofty cap hit, and now the Browns are stuck in the worst form of QB purgatory with no capable starter. Meanwhile, the Dirty Birds have two, which should make the 43-year-old luckier than ever to start a new chapter.

At least the Falcons are in a situation where their own battle is adequate. No matter how bad Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. get, at least Stefanski's chosen QB1 has been a quality starter sometime recently--and now that Penix was cleared for full contact, this competition is wide open.

Facing Watson would be a fun revenge matchup for the two-time Coach of the Year in Week 14, but there's virtually no chance he holds onto the starting job by the time the Falcons come to town in mid-December. At least Atlanta feels comfortable starting one of Penix or Tua all season if necessary.

The Browns' QB drama should make Kevin Stefanski happier than ever to be with the Falcons, especially now that he won't have to endure the nightmare that is Deshaun Watson. And while he still has to determine another QB battle, at least the quarterback woes are nowhere near as brutal.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow