I know we’ve spent plenty of time talking about Cleveland Browns rookie offensive tackle Dawand Jones, more than we normally would on an opposing player facing T.J. Watt. No matter the team or opponent, anyone taking on Watt has a massive challenge. But Monday night is interesting because it will be Jones first start. And the last time Watt faced a rookie Browns right tackle, he lit him up for four sacks.
Talking with reporters Thursday, Jones made sure to give Watt plenty of praise for the Hall-of-Fame track he’s on. He’s not taking this game for granted. But at the same time, Jones said there are ways he can win against him.
“Using my length,” he told reporters via a Browns’ transcript when asked how to “come back” at Watt. “He kind of leaves his chest open a little bit during the pass game. Using that. There are other things to it. Making sure I get back. He’s a great player.”
Jones has some of the longest arms of any tackle in the league. He’s also one of its biggest. At this year’s Combine, he measured in at 6082, 374 pounds with 36 3/8-inch arms. If anything, there were concerns about him being too big. It’s one reason why he fell into the fourth round of the draft. Since being drafted, he reportedly has lost at least 10 pounds and impressed throughout the summer and in his NFL debut Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
On paper, that length and ability to land an early punch could be key against someone like Watt. But despite playing at a Power Five school in Ohio State, facing somebody of Watt’s caliber is a different ballgame.
Jones understands the challenge, praising Watt’s array of moves and his work ethic.
“He has a motor of like of nonstop moves,” he said. “My major thing is–I need to limit him to some of them, use my length and my strength to by best ability.”
Watt has added a two-handed swipe to his arsenal, a move he used to beat San Francisco 49ers right tackle Colton McKivitz on one of his three sacks Sunday. Jones is big with good feet but Watt has the leverage and flexibility to work under and around him.
The Browns are smart enough not to leave Jones on an island all day. They’re likely to give him plenty of help, and a steady dose of their running game will limit Watt’s ability to pressure Deshaun Watson. Last week, Watson threw the ball just 29 times for 154 yards as the Browns racked up 40 carries and rushed for over 200 yards.
But as head coach Kevin Stefanski admitted, there will be times where Jones and Watt face off one-on-one. And we’ll see how well Jones’ game plan works. A pro tip: When you’re facing a player like Watt, don’t openly talk about any of his perceived weaknesses. You’re swimming upstream as it is.
