Deshaun Watson on the Ravens secondary: “Those guys are playing really high-level football”

Deshaun Watson framed Sunday’s home game against the Baltimore Ravens as an opportunity sitting right in front of a 3-2 Cleveland Browns team that just dropped a winnable game to the Jets. The quarterback’s Wednesday message was less about the loss and more about getting a rebuilt offense on one page before a first-place AFC North fight.

“It’s a long season. Some opportunities right in front of us,” Watson said. “We can’t dwell on what happened Sunday. We watch the tape on Monday, 24-hour rule, have an off day Tuesday, and then come in today and focus on the next opponent.”

Protection, communication, and five new faces up front

Asked what has to improve in protection after the Jets game, Watson kept it to communication and speed. “Just make sure we’re all on the same page and we’re communicating and we’re on one line. We can operate a little bit faster and pick things up.”

He described an offensive line still learning itself: five new pieces, two of them rookies, three from different schemes. The fix, he said, is reps, film together, and trading what he sees with what the line sees. On whether he should have gotten to hot options sooner, he said it depends on the concept — chips, downfield routes, empty looks — and that a couple of empty snaps probably needed a throwaway.

Hamilton, Starks, and keeping young receivers ready

Watson called Baltimore’s back end a great challenge, naming Kyle Hamilton as an All-Pro and Malaki Starks as a second-year player on that same track. “Those guys are playing really high-level football for that defense, and they have other guys on that defense, too,” he said. “We just got to be on the same page and see what they’re doing and make sure that we have those guys accounted for, each and every play.”

On young receivers — including Isaiah Bond after drops and the hope that KC Concepcion can return — Watson’s standard was the same: learn the full game plan, not one position, so the next opportunity is ready. After a drop, he said, keep coming back to the player. “Those opportunities are going to continue to show. Just make the next play.”

He also said a working run game helps the whole team, not just the quarterback, and that chemistry with receivers such as Denzel Boston keeps growing when young players can take coaching and capitalize when their number is called.

The Browns host the Ravens on Sunday with a chance to climb the AFC North and with Watson insisting the only tape that matters now is the one they put on this week.