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Staff article
CLEVELAND, Ohio-Quarterback Deshaun Watson played his first home game with the Cleveland Browns on Saturday at First Energy Stadium coming off of an 11-game suspension for violating NFL standards and offending a wealth of women who sued him for alleged sexual behavior and other sexual malfeasance before he joined the Browns earlier this year. His debut on the field with the team, however, came last month against the Houston Texans.
The Browns beat the Baltimore Ravens 13-3 on Saturday, a much needed win and a win that brings the Browns win-loss record to 6-8, and the Ravens 9-5. The Browns are now third in the AFC North and the Ravens second, behind the Cincinnati Bengals.
It was Watson's third game since reinstatement and while he was not spectacular, he got the job done. And there were no protests outside of FirstEnergy Stadium from women's groups before or after the game as some media pundits had predicted.
Women's March Cleveland, the city's most prominent women's rights organization, had been lobbied to protest against Watson at Saturday's home game in Cleveland but decided against a picket.
Activist Kathy Wray Coleman, a Black Cleveland activist and organizer who leads Women's March Cleveland, said that while her group believes Watson's accusers and is pleased that he settled lawsuits with 24 of them in good faith, her group decided against a protest specifically against Watson Instead, she said that Women's March Cleveland will focus on the NFL as a whole, and the Browns franchise.
"Women's March Cleveland remains firm on urging the NFL to take another look at its policies as they relate to women and to give back to women of Cleveland via contributions to the rape crisis and domestic violence centers and community programs," said Coleman.
Coleman said further that "Women's March Cleveland reserves the right to protest the NFL and the Browns on women's issues and any other matters of public concern when we deem it necessary."
Selected by Houston as a first round draft pick in 2017, Watson, 27, was traded to the Browns in early 2022 after being sidelined with an injury and following his problems with women, some 24 of them at least, and practically all of them massage therapists. He has denied any wrongdoing and has settled with 24 of the women coupled with paying a $5 million fine and undergoing counseling. A Harrison county grand jury out of Texas refised to indict him on criminal charges.
Until he made his post-suspension debut in a game last month against Houston, a game that Cleveland won, he had not played on the football field in an official NFL game as a starting quarterback in nearly two years. He signed a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract with Cleveland that featured a $44.965 million signing bonus and a 2022 salary of $1.035 million.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was elated as he joined his players in the locker room after Saturday's victory over the Ravens and said that he and his team look forward to winning next week's away game against the New Orleans Saints.
Watson finished 18 of 28 for 161 yards. on Saturday before Cleveland fans In comparison, Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley went 17 of 30 for 138 yards.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com the most read Black digital newspaper and blog in Ohio and in the Midwest Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.
