Cleveland Browns: Kevin Stefanski Says Browns Will Stay With Deshaun Watson
The Browns (1-4) haven't reached 20 points in any game this season, and Deshaun Watson threw for just 125 yards and was sacked seven times during a 35-14 loss to the Washington Commanders.
However, Head Coach Kevin Stefanski said the Browns will stay with Watson as their starting quarterback and will not turn to backup Jameis Winston.
"We're not changing quarterbacks," Stefanski said via Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com. "We need to play better. I need to coach better. This is not a one-person issue on offense. We have the guys. We have the coaches. We will get it fixed.
"Deshaun can play better. He will play better. He's had some obviously good moments and then there's times that we have to play better around him, but he's committed to getting better. We're committed as an offense to putting our guys in position to succeed."
Watson knows he's on the hot seat to play better.
"The offense is going to go as far as I go," Watson said. "So, at the end of the day, we're not doing enough offensively. As a quarterback, you take all the pressure. You take all the heat. You take all the blame."
Cleveland visits the Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) in Week 6.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Will Russell Wilson Start When He's Healthy?
Justin Fields completed a season-low 55.6% of his passes while throwing for just 131 yards during Pittsburgh's 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Speculation is growing that veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, who has been inactive through five games, will take over as the starter when he returns from his calf injury. During the Sunday Night Football broadcast, NBC sideline reporter Melissa Stark said Wilson told her he’d be ready to go Week 6 when the Steelers visit the Las Vegas Raiders (2-3).
Head Coach Mike Tomlin has not revealed his plans at quarterback once Wilson is healthy. However, Fields knows the offense needs to pick things up. The Steelers forced Dallas into three turnovers but didn't score off any of them.
"It's definitely frustrating," Fields said via the team's website.
"I think the reoccurring thing is shooting ourselves in the foot, penalties, false starts and stuff like that. It certainly doesn't help when our defense gets takeaways and we don't capitalize on it."
Cincinnati Bengals: Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase Question the Play Calling in Overtime
After falling to 1-4, the Cincinnati Bengals' top two wide receivers felt the play calling in overtime was too conservative during their Week 5 loss to the Ravens. Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase questioned why the Bengals called three straight running plays on their only possession of overtime.
They had excellent field position, starting at Baltimore's 38-yard line after Germaine Pratt recovered Lamar Jackson's fumble. However, three straight runs produced three yards, leaving Evan McPherson with a 53-yard field goal attempt that he missed after a bad hold. Derrick Henry busted loose for a 51-yard run on Baltimore's next play, then Justin Tucker kicked the game-winning 24-yard field goal that lifted the Ravens to a 41-38 win.
Higgins said the Bengals should've been more aggressive on their overtime possession in a game where Joe Burrow threw for 392 yards and five touchdown passes.
"Personally, I think we should've gone a little more aggressive on the first or second down, just to try and get Evan in better field goal range," Higgins said via Ben Baby of ESPN.com. "He'll make those from that deep, I'm not putting it on him at all. It's a team effort, we lost as a team. But we could've done a better job of putting him in field goal range to make it an easier kick."
Chase, who caught 10 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns, agreed with Higgins.
"I felt like we should've tried at least one play to give it to one of our playmakers, try to get a first down, cause we've been doing it the whole game," Chase said.
Head Coach Zac Taylor was asked about the overtime playing calling and explained his thinking.
"When you're in field goal range and you believe in your kicker, it really is as simple as that," Taylor said.
According to ESPN, only 5.6% of teams that have started 1-4 in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) have reached the postseason. That's the challenge in front of the Bengals, who visit the New York Giants (2-3) in Week 6.
"People can write us off if they really want to," Taylor said. "I'm not dumb enough to do that."
