BEREA, Ohio — On Friday in the first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Browns wide receiver Anthony Schwartz had a very tough night, dropping two passes from quarterback Deshaun Watson that were on target and stalling the offense in the first few series. It's an issue Schwartz is aware of, not making excuses for, and is working hard to improve upon.
"It was a pretty rough night. Things didn’t go the way we planned to, things didn’t go the way I planned it to," Schwartz said of the Friday preseason matchup in Jacksonville. "It’s the first game, it’s the preseason, just supposed to learn from each game and just take that and dump it onto the next one."
While Schwartz isn't being too hard on himself, he's also plenty accountable for his poor performance in that game.
The first pass of the game went to Schwartz, and Watson sailed it. It was a tough pass, but one Schwartz knows is the name of the game, especially in Watson's first game action since January 2021.
"I kind of ran my route a little bit shorter than I should have. But I think it was just kind of a—can’t really explain it, just kind of an overthrow. Overthrows happen, first play," Schwartz explained. "I’m not going to speak for Deshaun, but it was his first play in almost two years. I can’t really say anything for what happened on it."
But after that bad pass, Watson found Schwartz in the numbers. The receiver couldn't bring it in.
"I just dropped it. It’s unexplainable, there’s no excuses for it, I just dropped the ball," Schwartz said.
Despite the drops, Schwartz said his teammates were supportive.
"I just felt down and [Watson] just came to me and said, ‘We got you. I’m still coming to you.’ It felt really good. It kind of uplifted me a little bit and just helped me even more to know what I’ve got to work on," Schwartz said.
That work has been ongoing at practice since, with Schwartz working on his pass catching technique and focusing on getting out of his own head.
"I just set myself to catch more balls, catch more balls in the positions that aren’t as natural. Kind of that little in between area, catch more there, get more reps there knowing that’s where most balls are going to be thrown, kind of that in between area. Just repping those and keep on repping it," Schwartz said. "Again, there’s no excuses for me dropping the ball but I can see how I was probably a little too into my head, pretty much pressing and not letting the game come to me and I think that’s a thing I need to work on and get back as far as that part, mentally.”
Head coach Kevin Stefanski noticed the work Schwartz has done to bounce back from Friday's performance and hone in on the areas he needs to improve.
Part of that work, Stefanski says, simply means letting the bad days go and looking forward to the next opportunity—a task he believes Schwartz has done well.
“He's done a great job out here. He's very accountable to himself and his teammates. He's excited to get back to work," Stefanski said. "I think the big thing for any of us when we drop a pass, make a bad call or whatever it is, you have to move on. You can’t dwell on those type of things. I think he has done a nice job of moving on because that is part of being a receiver is moving past those type of plays.”
The Browns third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Schwartz still has a lot to prove. He's quick, that's for sure, but to be a good burner in the NFL you have to have solid hands. That work will continue in individual drills and team matchups, and should see a jump when the Philadelphia Eagles come to town for joint practices Thursday and Friday.
With the first round of roster cuts done, Schwartz has come out unscathed. But such is the nature of the NFL that no spot on the roster is promised and the competition will only get fiercer. Schwartz knows there's work to be done and sees the improvement in himself in the past year—improvement that he hopes continues and keeps him on this roster for years to come.
"I’d probably say it’s like two times better than when I got here. And that’s still scratching the barrel of where I know I need to be and where I think I can be," Schwartz said. "If I’m able to get two times better every year, I feel like the sky's the limit."
Camryn Justice is a reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @camijustice.
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