Report: Browns to start Deshaun Watson against Texans

Deshaun Watson will recapture his spot as the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback for Sunday's matchup against the Houston Texans. According to Fox News and CBS Sports, the team confirmed there is no quarterback controversy as Watson reclaims his job over second-year quarterback Shedeurs Sanders. Watson missed the Week 9 contest against the New Orleans Saints after entering concussion protocol last Tuesday following reported symptoms to the medical staff. Although Watson was cleared ahead of the game, the Browns kept him inactive and started Sanders instead. In Cleveland's 23-22 overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints, Sanders finished 19-of-31 for 297 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. The Colorado alum connected with KC Concepcion on a 64-yard score in the fourth quarter and Harold Fannin Jr. on a 39-yard catch-and-run in overtime. Cleveland attempted a two-point conversion for the win, but Sanders was pressured by the pass rush and scrambled right before throwing an incomplete pass intended for Denzel Boston. Over the fourth quarter and overtime alone, Sanders completed 12-of-19 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Fox News noted that Sanders was just one completion away from giving the Browns a wild overtime win. Following the game, head coach Todd Monken initially declined to name a starter and left the door open, but subsequently decided to go back to his Week 1 starter and send Sanders back to his role as the top backup. Watson beat out Sanders for the Week 1 job during the summer and has helped the Browns jump out to a 5-3 record over the first nine games. Across eight games this season, Watson has completed 65.5% of his passes for 1,806 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions with a 91.2 passer rating, and has been sacked an NFL-high 33 times. Watson is in the final year of a five-year, $230 million contract. Sanders fell to the fifth round of last year's NFL Draft and began the season as the third-string quarterback behind Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel before Gabriel suffered a concussion and Flacco was traded. Analyst Peter King weighed in on the decision, stating that he would start Watson because it is possible Watson can play well enough for the Browns to make a playoff run. King added that Sanders definitely has a ceiling from what he has seen. Meanwhile, ESPN reported that Watson ranks 32nd in QBR, 31st in explosive pass rate, and 34th in completion percentage over expectation. The Browns will move forward with Watson against the Texans as Sanders returns to a backup role.