Deshaun Watson’s ‘spirits have lifted’ as he braces for the wrath of hostile Browns fans in home debut

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Deshaun Watson has done enough to keep his job… for now. There was growing speculation entering Week 2 of the NFL season that the Cleveland Browns would use the veteran quarterback’s performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to evaluate his position as the starter going forward. Watson impressed in Week 2, doing enough to keep his job for nowGettyBut it was arguably $230 million Watson’s best performance in years, as he completed 24-of-30 of his passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-19 win over former Browns No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield. This was enough for head coach Todd Monken and the rest of the Browns’ coaching brass to give him another shot under center in front of the Dawg Pound faithful for the first time this season when Cleveland host the Carolina Panthers. According to Jonathan Jones of The Athletic, Watson’s confidence has soared after the Week 2 victory, which has shown through in practice this week. “Watson has been more decisive in practice this week, according to a Browns source. The win seems to have lifted his spirits,” Jones wrote.But Sunday afternoon will be another test of Watson’s revolve, with him having to take to the field in front of the home fans for the first time since the preseason. Last time out at Huntingdon Bank Field, Watson was booed by a half-full crowd and to say he didn’t take it well would be an understatement. In his post-game press conference, he sounded off on Browns fans, stating that it was both “personal” and “disrespectful.”It was nothing short of a PR disaster, and had some making the argument that he should be cut from the team entirely. Furthermore, former NFL quarterback-turned ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky even called for Cleveland fans to boycott attending home games as a result. But Monken has made his decision, leaving back-up Shedeur Sanders still on the sidelines, and has reportedly told his team to rally their support behind the 31-year-old veteran in what is expected to be a hostile atmosphere. Shedeur Sanders remains on the sidelines as Watson kept the QB1 spot for Week 3GettyRookie QB Taylen Green opened up on Monken telling the team to get behind WatsonGetty“Monken said, ‘we’re going to circle the wagon and we’re going to ride with Deshaun Watson through thick and thin,’” rookie quarterback Taylen Green told Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot on Saturday. “So that’s going to hurt (if he gets booed) but at the same time, we’ve got to control what we can control. … “We’re all human at the end of the day and nobody wants to be booed,” Green added. “I see how much work he puts in day in and day out, and he’s just all into it, so it kind of hurt (when he was booed).”As the Browns prepare to welcome the home fans for the first time this season, they will also be honoring a legend. Former running back Nick Chubb will be in attendance as the team prepares to honor him for his contributions to the team after he signed a one-day contract on Friday to retire as a Brown. The timing of this is interesting, with this viewed by some as a mitigation effort to distract the fans from their starting quarterback. But whether this is intentional or not is impossible to tell. Join talkSPORT’s dedicated US Sports YouTube channel The S* Word every Tuesday and Thursday for our brand new NFL shows.On Tuesdays, Will Gavin and US senior reporter Brian T. Smith will debate the biggest talking points from the NFL weekend, while on Thursdays Efe Obada joins the crew to talk to players past and present and break down what to look for across the league.