Cleveland Browns superstar pass-rusher Myles Garrett showed support for rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders after his rocky debut in a 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Sanders entered the game at halftime, replacing fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who exited with a concussion. It was a rough debut for Sanders, who Browns fans had been calling for amid Gabriel’s struggles. He completed 4-of-16 passes for 47 yards and an interception. Garrett tried to pick Sanders up after the loss.
“Just telling him to keep his head up,” Garrett said. “He wants to make a play and have that game-changing drive. He feels like he has the ability and we’ve seen it. I told him don’t be discouraged by one or two drives. That’s a good team over there. Just trying to keep his confidence high and keep chasing that standard that he set.”
Garrett said that Sanders spoke to the entire team in the locker room after the game and attempted to take the blame. The powerful pass-rusher, who had four sacks, wasn’t going to let that happen.
“We’ll continue to support him. He spoke after the game and wanted to pin it on himself and his performance,” Garrett said. “But we’re not going to allow him to do that. It’s a team game. We’re in this together.”
Browns Will Start Dillon Gabriel if Healthy
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed after Sunday’s game that Gabriel will remain the starter if he’s healthy. However, Stefanski did caution that clearing concussion protocol is a process and there’s no certainty that Gabriel will be ready to roll. If Gabriel cannot go in Week 12 against the Raiders, it will be Sanders getting the starting nod.
At a minimum, Sanders is set to get more reps in practice this week if Gabriel misses any time. Sanders said after the game that not having chemistry with his pass-catchers was tough.
“It’s different when there are different body types out there. The different ways people are getting out of their routes,” Sanders said. “Playing quarterback is extremely hard. I like to know every detail of my receivers. What they’re good at and what they’re not good at. There are so many details that help me play confidently. We are at the bottom right now. But I’m dedicated to being able to get those opportunities with those guys.”
Sanders did promise that the loss won’t drain his legendary confidence.
“Losing isn’t something I’m comfortable with. I just gotta take this one. This really happened on my watch. I don’t like the feeling,” Sanders said. “I still have the same confidence. I’m still me. That’ll never go anywhere.”
Browns DE Myles Garrett Takes Blame for Loss to Ravens
Garrett put together another monster performance in the loss to the Ravens. He sacked Lamar Jackson four times, bringing his total to 15 this season. On Sunday, he became the first player to record 12 or more sacks in six consecutive seasons.
But Garrett doesn’t care about the numbers he’s racking up if it doesn’t result in a win.
“I’m going to think about the things I could have done better. I’m not going to pin it on anyone other than myself. First thing I do is look in the mirror,” Garrett said. “Got four hits on Lamar, didn’t get the ball out. … I got to make bigger plays.”
Garrett has said that he’s taking it upon himself to keep the team motivated despite the playoffs already being out of reach. The Browns will get another shot to add a tally to the win column on Sunday as they travel to take on the Las Vegas Raiders.
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