CLEVELAND — The fact his starting quarterback was on the ground having suffered what was likely a season-ending injury was one thing for Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.

But what Garrett felt after Deshaun Watson went down in the second quarter of Sunday's 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals with an Achilles injury was compounded by something else.

"It was harder with the reaction that the fans gave," Garrett said. "Whether it's an opponent that goes down or one of our own, we don't boo the guys that are injured on the field, especially with the extent with the cart comes out. We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall. To be season-altering, career-altering injury, man’s not perfect. He doesn't need to be. None of us are expected to be perfect."

Deshaun Watson's injury is believed to be season ending

Watson suffered what is believed to be a season-ending Achilles injury with 1:22 remaining in the second quarter. His leg buckled and his right calf seemed to ripple when he planted on what looked to be a designed quarterback run.

As Watson lay on the turf with medical personnel around him, there was a noticeable sound of cheering from some of the fans in attendance. It was not the entire stadium, but it was loud enough to be heard.

It certainly was heard by Watson's teammates, all of whom eventually left the bench area to gather around him as he got put on the cart to be taken back to the locker room.

“That was bulls****,” Newsome said. “I noticed it right away. No matter what you feel about a player, performance-wise or not, you don’t boo a guy that’s down, that can’t get up by himself. So, yeah, that was bulls***. So any fan that said anything, it’s bulls***, that simple. You don’t do that. Whether a guy’s playing well or not, whether you’re a fan favorite, whether you’re anything, you don’t boo a guy who’s down. That’s bulls***.”

Since the Browns traded for him, Deshaun Watson has been a polarizing figure

Watson has been a polarizing figure since the Browns acquired him from the Houston Texans in a trade on March 18, 2022. A large reason for that lies in the 27 lawsuits against him filed by women alleging sexual assault or sexual misconduct while he was still with the Texans, including one filed and settled within the last month and a half.

However, what Watson has, or hasn't, done on the field has also played a major role. Sunday was just the 19th start in two-plus seasons, and the injury guarantees the quarterback will not have started more than seven games in any of the first three seasons.

Watson lost 11 games because of suspension for the allegations in 2022 and another 11 because of shoulder injuries last season. This year, his first six starts had him in the bottom third of the league in almost every important quarterback statistic, which had the Browns offense in the bottom five in most major offensive stats.

"The way I was raised, I was taught to love no matter the circumstances, especially for people who do right by you," backup quarerback Jameis Winston said. "I'm grateful that I had a chance to serve Deshaun, but I am very upset with the reaction to a man that has had the world against him for the past four years, and he put his body and life on the line for this city every single day.

"Regardless of your perception, regardless of what you thought should happen with him, he committed every single day that I've been here to be the best that he can be for this team."

Deshaun Watson's stats before injury vs. Bengals were encouraging

Watson was in the midst of his best drive in what was shaping up to possibly be his best performance of the season. He had completed 15 of 17 passes for 128 yards, including his last 10 in a row for 97 yards.

That Watson completed 10 consecutive passes before the injury has a weird symmetry with the season-ending shoulder injury he had last year in Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens. He completed his final 14 passes in that game as part of a come-from-behind win.

"It's disappointing because, like you said, I feel like we was on a rhythm," wide receiver Cedric Tillman said. "I think I looked up, it seemed like we were moving the ball better that drive and stuff like that. So it was just unfortunate."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns fans cheered Deshaun Watson's injury and players are upset