🏈 Watson's Contract Only Guarantee In Cleveland

Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed contract could trap the Browns in a downward spiral. [View in browser]( In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: Deshaun Watson’s performance with the Browns has been well below what was expected, but can he rebound? … Which five teams are Super Bowl or bust this season? … and more! Spin it a certain way and view it through squinted eyes and blurred goggles, and this is just what the Cleveland Browns have waited years for. A weekend matchup against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs looms, with both teams boasting essentially the same record, and Cleveland's big-money franchise quarterback is talking boldly about sharing greatness on the Patrick Mahomes level. Sounds great. But reality is a lot chillier, and far more concerning for the Browns, than that. First of all, it's preseason, so the team's 1-1-1 record, compared to Kansas City's 1-1, counts for almost nothing. And while Deshaun Watson is spinning up some fancy narratives this week, all about how he and Mahomes are on course to form one of the all-time great draft classes, how big things are just around the corner, how he doesn't want to win just one Super Bowl in "The Land" but many of them, all of those things might as well be pie in the sky right now. "(Mahomes is) definitely the standard for the NFL, and you've just got to continue to just keep building that up, especially being in the 2017 draft class together," Watson told reporters. "I think he was the 10th pick. I was the 12th. So, both of us have a lot to prove, and we want to continue to just show that we're one of the — us two — top classes that have been drafted. So that's the plan." You can't fault an NFL quarterback for standing there in late August and trying to paint a rosy portrait of the season ahead. That's pretty much part of the job description, an exercise in lifting spirits and selling season tickets as much as it is in providing a deeply analytical take on where things stand in a footballing sense. Yet you also can't blame the Browns ever-loyal fan base for struggling to share in that enthusiasm, or at the very least exercising a strong degree of caution when it comes to evaluating how far Watson might be able to lead the franchise toward glory. For the rest of the story, [click here.]( [STORY IMAGE 1] [IN OTHER WORDS] - With a "Super Bowl or bust" mindset, Bucky Brooks runs through [five teams who are feeling the heat]( to capture the Lombardi Trophy in 2023. - The Angels took advantage of Ohtani for as long as they possibly could, and didn't post a single winning season. His UCL is torn again, and he owes them nothing. Ben Verlander [examines Ohtani’s career]( with the Angels. - Justin Steele spent seven years in the minor leagues. He's been worth the wait, becoming an [under-the-radar NL Cy Young candidate]( for the contending Cubs. Deesha Thosar has the story. - Can Caleb Williams repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner? Who will be the nation's top defender? Our college football writers [predict the top college football award winners](. For the latest news and updates, [click here.]( [VIEWER'S GUIDE] New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans (NFLN, 8:15 p.m. ET) The Patriots head to Tennessee to battle the Titans in a preseason clash of two ferocious defenses. Atlanta Braves at San Francisco Giants (Saturday, FS1, 4:05 p.m. ET) The Braves send Max Fried to the mound to face a suddenly hot San Francisco lineup. Ohio Bobcats at San Diego State Aztecs (Saturday, FS1, 4:05 p.m. ET) College football returns when the Bobcats collide with the Aztecs with both teams looking for their first win. Texas Rangers at Minnesota Twins (Saturday, FOX, 7:15 p.m. ET) Max Scherzer and the Rangers look pick up a key road win in Minnesota as they push for the AL West division title. Atlanta Braves at San Francisco Giants (Sunday, ESPN, 7:10 p.m. ET) The best team in the majors heads out west as the Braves take their electric offense to San Francisco the face the Giants. Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints (Sunday, FOX, 8 p.m. ET) C.J. Stroud and the Texans head to New Orleans where they look to grab a preseason victory. For all of today's games and scores, [click here](. [BET OF THE DAY] Michigan Wolverines to make the CFP Playoff (+125) From FOX Sports Betting Analyst: Sam Panayotovich DraftKings is dealing Michigan at even money (+100), so please get the best number. The Wolverines are favored in every single regular-season game for the first time in a long time. Obviously, they must take care of business and protect their house, but there’s so much to love about Jim Harbaugh’s offense. Starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy is back, as are top running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. The maize and blue also return two of their top three receivers, and they’ll start five — count ‘em, five — seniors on the offensive line. If opposing teams can’t stop the running game, fuhgeddaboudit. Rather than lay the wood with Georgia (-270) or Alabama (-120) to earn a berth, I’ll take the plus price on Harbaugh’s best team yet. For the latest betting odds, [click here](. 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