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The second-year quarterback also showed improvement in an area that has been a focus throughout the offseason. Sanders avoided holding the ball for too long and made quicker decisions as he worked through his progressions.

The boos grew louder after Watson stumbled through his opening series. He completed one of his first four attempts for minus-1 yard. Watson later threw an interception and had two misses during early action in the fourth quarter.

Watson, after going 5 of 12 for 36 yards and an interception during , decided to go on the offensive when asked about the boos.

Watson also said prior to Saturday he thought he'd done enough since making his last start for the Browns in October 2024 to help win over the fanbase.

Watson has acknowledged he cannot control whether fans support him following his disappointing and injury-plagued years in Cleveland.

Watson, who has a complicated relationship with Cleveland fans because of injuries, off-field issues – including an NFL suspension in 2022 – and a massive, $230m contract, was booed repeatedly during the second half of the 31-7 loss to the Bills.

Unfortunately for Sanders, his ninth throw was not a good one, either. The former Colorado star threw behind 2025 undrafted tight end Jermaine Terry II, and the ball deflected up in the air and right to Damar Hamlin.

"I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance," Watson said. "It's a little bit more personal than that. So, I think it's a disrespectful thing."

“It has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said of the boos. “It’s a little bit personal. I think that’s a disrespectful thing. I’m going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel about that. Just move on.”

Watson hasn’t forgotten the cheers that greeted his injury in 2024. “Last time I played on this field, I tore my achilles and that same fanbase, they cheered when I got hurt,” Watson said. “So what does that have to do with anything about performance? When a person gets hurt, especially for your own city and they cheer.”

"Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles. That same fan base, they cheered when I got hurt," he said. "What does that have to do with anything about performance? When a person gets hurt, especially in your home stadium, and they cheer."

"I thought being away for two years and working myself back from two Achilles injuries and putting the time in and being around the facility, being around the city, doing charity work in the city, supporting the Cleveland Browns, hanging out with fans whenever I do see them, being honest, being the type of person that I know I am and the character would help," he said. "And I guess it hasn't. So that's why I say it's personal. So it is what it is. People have their own opinions. There's only so much you can do to change that. So at the end of the day, I just have to continue to just work on it and strive to be better mentally moving forward."

"I think we all need to understand that we're all human," he said. "I don't really do things to humans I wouldn't want done to me. ... Just for our fans, I appreciate ya'll showing up and everything. However ya'll feel about the situation, about Deshaun, about I think it's more about a bigger purpose than just respect. The respect thing that I feel like should be there. Because we're out trying to do our best and trying to serve the franchise the best way possible. We're going out there every game and doing everything we can do. I don't really appreciate that."

To make his point, Watson noted that Saturday wasn't the first time that he felt the ire of Browns fans. He added that he gets treated better by opposing fans.

In 2022, the Browns sent a package that included three first-round picks to the Houston Texans in exchange for the quarterback, who had been accused of sexual assault by dozens of women. The Browns then rewarded Watson, at the time one of the best quarterbacks in the league, with a $230m fully guaranteed contract. Watson never faced criminal charges over the sexual assault allegations but the NFL suspended him for 11 games of the 2022 season after its own investigation.