CLEVELAND — The image of Deshaun Watson looms large on the outside of Browns Stadium; his loss for the season looms larger.
"I was devastated," said Ronell Williamson of Cleveland, who started his week wearing his Browns gear to work Monday after their incredible comeback win over the Ravens gave him new hope.
"I felt rejuvenated. I mean, it's almost like, I don't want to date myself, but the Cardiac Kids, Brian Sipe, I mean, that's what I thought about," he said. "I mean, these guys are the new Browns."
It was a win in which Watson went a perfect 14 for 14 down the stretch.
"You're like OK, maybe it's worth all the pain and all of the waiting for Deshaun to get healthy," said Michael Jevaeck of Shaker Heights. "It was really the moment where he said you guys made the right choice."
It had fans like Cameron Tkachik of Parma dreaming.
"Things were looking up. With the Steelers, it's like, alright we can beat them there, you know, we'll be back at home, defense will be lights out but, you know," Tkachik said.
Oh, Browns fans know. The revolving Quarterback Carousel since the team's return in 1999 is infamous, leaving fans on this day to ask when was the last time the team had a good quarterback for a whole season?
"I mean a true quarterback," asked Ronell Williamson. "Bernie was the last one."
Bernie Kosar — the last quarterback to lead the team to a conference championship game. A man who famously played three quarters on a broken ankle. He told News 5 his thoughts are with Deshaun and with the fans, but having undergone shoulder and elbow surgery in the late 80s, he worries.
"I don't like to admit it, but when my elbow and the shoulder started, '88 the elbow and '89 the micro tear of my shoulder and stuff, that really starts a deterioration of your ability to play at the elite level and I worry about that, selfishly for Browns fans and for Deshaun personally," he said.
"This team with Deshawn Watson was a team nobody wanted to play in January. This was a Super Bowl competing team," he said, remaining upbeat. "This season isn't all lost. I mean, this still can be and could be a playoff team; it's just the reality of what could have been. This team with a healthy Deshaun Watson could be playing with the elite teams in the NFL."
Michael Jevaeck also remains optimistic. "The defense is great," he said. "We have all of the parts, we just need someone to move them down the field."
