Even Tom Brady Couldn't Save the Cleveland Browns From This Nightmare

Week 1 was all about the Cleveland Browns and Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. Instead, their 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars revealed difficulties much beyond the quarterback situation. Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko summed it up bluntly during the game, noting that even a prime Tom Brady couldn't have repaired what was going on in Cleveland. His reasoning also matches up with Terry Bradshaw's ongoing argument about Tom Brady's standing among the best quarterbacks of all time. Both perspectives lead to an essential reality: even the greatest quarterback of all time cannot fix all the problems of a losing club.

Why Cleveland's problems went far beyond the Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders debate

The Browns' quarterback decision became an easy target after the loss, but the offense showed issues that would not disappear simply by changing the starter.

Cleveland struggled to run the ball, missed opportunities through the air and failed to build any rhythm against Jacksonville. The Browns trailed 31-0 early in the third quarter, leaving little doubt that the problems were spread across the offense.

Fehoko pointed directly at those issues on X.

“I promise you Prime Tom Brady could not help the Browns right now,” he wrote. “There's guys out here running the wrong routes. No run game. They have 12 rushes for 45 yards and torn Achilles Deshaun Watson is leading them in rushing. This is bad football.”

Got news for Todd Monken, so long as the #Browns make the conscious decision to put Deshaun Watson on a field, you will be asked about benching him. That was beyond embarrassing today. Shedeur Sanders can do that. At least fans want to see him play. pic.twitter.com/yvisk8p8mr

— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) September 13, 2026

Watson finished 16 of 22 for 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His touchdown came on a 46-yard pass to rookie Denzel Boston, but most of the damage had already been done.

That does not make Watson immune from criticism. It does, however, explain why replacing him with Sanders would not automatically solve Cleveland's larger problems.

Why even Tom Brady's greatness does not settle every quarterback debate

The Browns situation also adds an interesting layer to the long-running conversation about Brady's legacy.

Terry Bradshaw has repeatedly pushed back against the idea that Brady's seven Super Bowl victories automatically make him the undisputed greatest quarterback ever. Bradshaw has pointed to his own 4-0 Super Bowl record and Joe Montana's identical record when making his case.

The argument is ultimately about how quarterback greatness should be judged. Rings matter, but football is still a team sport. Protection, coaching, route running, rushing production and defensive play all shape what a quarterback can accomplish.

Brady was exceptional at elevating teams, but even he needed the right pieces around him.

That is what makes Fehoko's Browns comment more interesting than a simple quarterback debate. Cleveland's immediate problem may not be deciding between Watson and Sanders. It may be building an offense that gives either quarterback a realistic chance to succeed.

Until that changes, the Browns could keep searching for answers at quarterback while the real issues remain untouched.