BEREA, Ohio >> Just one game in, Deshaun Watson’s third season with the Browns is already headed in a bad direction.

In addition to talking about his shaky performance in the season opener, Cleveland’s quarterback was confronted Wednesday with questions connected to new sexual assault allegations brought against him in a civil lawsuit.

On Monday, a woman in Texas accused Watson of sexual assault and battery in October 2020 while he played for Houston. Watson said he was unaware of the allegations until they went public in the media.

“I found out exactly whenever everyone else found out,” said Watson, who is expected to start Sunday at Jacksonville.

According to the lawsuit, the woman, known only as “Jane Doe,” says Watson “roughly sexually assaulted” her for several minutes during a dinner date in her apartment.

During his weekly media availability, Watson said he was surprised by the allegations, adding he didn’t know if the woman’s lawyer had approached his legal representation 10 months ago seeking a resolution, as her attorney, Tony Buzbee, claims.

“I haven’t heard anything,” Watson said before practice. “I haven’t spoke with anybody so I’m not sure. I’m not aware of that.”

Watson’s appearance on the dais came about an hour after his attorney, Rusty Hardin, released a statement saying the QB “strongly denies” the claims in the lawsuit.

The NFL said Tuesday it will examine the case to determine whether Watson violated the league’s personal conduct policy.

Watson was suspended 11 games in 2022 — months after the Browns signed him to a fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million contract — and fined $5 million after an independent arbiter reviewed accusations of sexual misconduct and assault made against him by more than two dozen women during massage therapy sessions.

Dolphins’ Hill calls for firing of police officer

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill acknowledged Wednesday that he could have handled himself better in the initial moments of a weekend traffic stop that left him handcuffed and pulled out of his car by police officers near the team’s stadium.

Hill also said he wants one of the officers involved in the incident dismissed from the police force.

Hill said he wishes he did some things “a bit differently” on Sunday morning, including leaving the window of his car down when officers instructed him to do so. He rolled up the window instead. The incident escalated quickly from there.

“I will say I could have been better,” Hill said. “I could have let down my window in that instant. But the thing about me is, I don’t want attention. I don’t want to be cameras-out, phones-on-you in that moment. But at the end of the day, I’m human. I’ve got to follow rules. I’ve got to do what everyone else would do.”

Ravens’ Van Noy rips Chiefs’ medical staff

Baltimore linebacker Kyle Van Noy criticized the Kansas City Chiefs’ medical staff for being slow to respond to his eye injury during the teams’ season opener last week.

Van Noy injured his right eye in the third quarter on Thursday night and said he was “disappointed” about how long it took for Chiefs doctors to see him in the locker room after leaving the field.

A Chiefs spokesperson said the team had no comment on Van Noy’s remarks, which also referenced the organization getting a failing grade for its training staff on NFLPA report cards.

Rams put three on IL including WR Nacua

Receiver Puka Nacua, guard Steve Avila and offensive tackle Joe Noteboom have been placed on injured reserve by the Los Angeles Rams after their injury-filled season opener.

The Rams on Wednesday also signed offensive lineman Dylan McMahon off Philadelphia’s practice squad and signed offensive lineman Geron Christian. Los Angeles re-signed offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe on Tuesday.

Nacua reaggravated his knee injury in the first half of Los Angeles’ 26-20 overtime loss at Detroit last weekend. The record-setting wideout will miss at least the next four games to rest his knee.

Avila sprained a ligament in his knee in the first half in Detroit, while Noteboom sprained his ankle. Noteboom has a significant injury history with the Rams, while Avila played every snap in all 17 games last year during his rookie season.

BRIEFLY

WNBA >> A’ja Wilson broke the WNBA single season scoring record with her 941st point just before the first half of the Las Vegas Aces’ game against the Indiana Fever on Wednesday night in Indianapolis. Wilson hit a jumper from the free throw line with 26.4 seconds left in the second quarter to surpass the previous mark of 939 points set by Jewell Loyd in 2023. The Aces’ two-time league MVP came into the game averaging 27.3 points and 11.9 rebounds.

NFL >> The Chicago Bears and receiver Rome Odunze were breathing a little easier after an MRI showed no major damage to the knee he sprained late in Chicago’s season-opening victory over the Tennessee Titans.

NFL >> The Arizona Cardinals have put starting right tackle Jonah Williams on injured reserve because of a knee injury suffered in the season-opening loss against the Buffalo Bills.

Tennis >> Less than two weeks after his shocking second-round exit at the U.S. Open, Carlos Alcaraz was staring at another upset when a set down in his opening group-stage match for Spain in the Davis Cup Finals on Wednesday.

College football >> Kevin Long, who played running back at South Carolina before getting drafted by the New York Jets in 1977, has died at age 69.

Colleges >> Thousands of documents turned over by Michigan State University reveal nothing new about what the school might have known about years of sexual abuse committed by Larry Nassar, the campus doctor who assaulted female athletes, the state attorney general said Wednesday.

Soccer >> American right back Reggie Cannon signed a 3 1/2-year contract with Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids on Wednesday after leaving Queens Park Rangers of England’s second-tier League Championship.

— From news services