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The Cleveland Browns named Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback for the 2026 NFL season. This isn’t that surprising, as it’s an example of a team deferring to their veteran with that albatross of a contract. It’s a last-chance effort for the Browns to get any smidge of value from what’s been one of the worst trades and subsequent long-term extensions in NFL history.
Watson hasn’t been impressive during preseason, coming off a game against the Bills where he completed 5-of-12 passes for 36 yards and an interception. Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders went 9-of-11 with 74 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Initially, I had some hope that Watson may play a bit better with Todd Monken as head coach, since he ran an impressive scheme while working as Ravens’ offensive coordinator. But looking at the camp reports and preseason results has me quite skeptical. To that end, let’s take a closer look at how we can exploit the betting markets with the news that Watson was named Browns’ starting quarterback.
Bet Jaguars Over Browns for Week 1
The Jaguars are currently 7.5-point favorites over the Browns in Week 1. The market hasn’t moved there with news of Watson as starter, but now that it’s confirmed, we can try to exploit that.
Even though we’re forced to pay above the key number of seven, Watson could be in tough against a Jaguars front that includes edge rusher Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.
With the Browns adjusting to a new scheme led by Todd Monken in an offense that includes two rookies, wideouts KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, it may take time for this group to gel. That means that points could be hard to come by here.
Additionally, replacing Myles Garrett with Jared Verse while losing defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz can have negative implications for the defense. Trevor Lawrence and company can have a field day here.
Verdict: Take Jaguars
When Will Shedeur Sanders Start?
Even though Deshaun Watson was named Browns’ starting quarterback, it’s unlikely that he’ll retain that role all year long. In other words, it’s only a matter of time before we see Shedeur Sanders under center. This is especially true because the Browns are still rebuilding, so they’ll want to see what their young talent can do.
Let’s take a look at the Browns’ schedule to see when it would make sense for Sanders to take over:
- Week 1: at Jaguars
- Week 2: at Buccaneers
- Week 3: vs Panthers
- Week 4: vs Steelers
- Week 5: at Jets
- Week 6: vs Ravens
For the first third of the season, the Browns face two dark horse Super Bowl contenders in the Jaguars and Ravens. They also have a pair of tough matchups at the Buccaneers and vs the Steelers. With this type of schedule, it’s unlikely we see anything better than 2-4 here.
At that point, Todd Monken would have to evaluate whether to make the move to Sanders. Since the Jaguars, Ravens, and Steelers have tough defenses, there’s a good chance that Watson will struggle.
With that in mind, Week 7 at the Titans feels like a good spot where Sanders could possibly take over.
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