The Deshaun Watson injured shoulder saga has been a long
, exhaustive, winding road. Six weeks since suffering the injury, Watson made a triumphant return to the field for the Browns and tossed his first touchdown pass in as many weeks.
It’s safe to say the play didn’t quite go according to plan, even if it wound up finding his intended target, Amari Cooper anyway. Based on his eyes, Watson appeared to be trying to zip the pass into Cooper earlier in the route, as he cleared the linebacker on slant route. However, as Watson winds and fires, Cardinals defensive tackle Dante Stills got a paw on the ball.
It just so happened that the ball ricocheted off Stills’ hands into the sure hands of Cooper for the Browns first touchdown of the game. While the score represented Watson’s first since Week 3, it was also Cooper’s first in the same span of time. The touchdown and PAT gave Cleveland 10-0 lead with 6:42 remaining in the second quarter.
The Browns star quarterback has found comfort in his go to target, Cooper throughout the first half of play against Arizona. Heading into the break, Watson is 11-for-20, for 136 yards and that lone touchdown. Cooper was responsible for 73 of those yards on three receptions, including a 59-yard catch on Cleveland’s third drive of the game.
That series ended in a 30-yard, Dustin Hopkins field goal to give the Browns a 3-0 lead earlier that quarter. The Browns lead the Cardinals 13-0 at halftime.
