Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson struggled in windy conditions in Cleveland on Sunday, and he said afterward that he isn’t accustomed to playing in that kind of weather.
“It’s tough, especially if you don’t get to experience it on a consistent basis,” Watson said, via the Houston Chronicle. “It [was] definitely a factor in the game, but I don’t want to make excuses on that [being] the reason we didn’t capitalize. That’s not the reason. We just didn’t make enough plays fast enough to give us a chance to win.”
Watson managed just 163 yards on 30 passes, while Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield had 132 yards on 20 passes. The difference was the running game: Houston totaled just 90 yards on the ground, while Cleveland’s Nick Chubb had 126 yards and Kareem Hunt added 104 yards.
“You have to be able to guide the ball different ways and [in] different areas of the field,” Watson said. “A couple of times, the ball was right there, but the wind took it [a] certain way. It was tough on both sides. That’s why they did a lot of bootlegs, draws and different screens, but [it was] the same with us. We had to pick our spots and try to throw it down the field because that’s what we want to do, but it’s kind of hard with heavy wind. We just didn’t connect.”
The 2-7 Texans have had a lot go wrong this season. The wind in Cleveland was the latest obstacle they couldn’t overcome.