After watching Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel attempt just seven passes of 20 yards or more in six starts this year, Cleveland fans were quickly reminded that there is a certain level of excitement in having a QB who can push the ball down the field when Shedeur Sanders took the reins. Sanders has tried eight deep passes of more than 20 yards in his six quarters as the Browns quarterback, and has completed three of them.
Even the misses have some value–they stretch the defense, give coordinators more to think about when scheming how to use their safeties, and keep wide receivers engaged knowing that their routes might be rewarded with a target. And with Sanders’ ability to move the pocket and stretch plays, the Browns have a chance to gamble a bit more.
As we prepare for start No. 2 of Sanders’ NFL career, then, the question raised is whether the Browns will finally become risk-taking offensive venture. Fans want to see if Sanders can cook at quarterback. The Browns aren’t likely to give him that kind of freedom, though.
Browns Have Been ‘Deliberate’ With Shedeur Sanders
That’s how Cleveland.com Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot sees it, at least. The Browns have been methodical in how they have brought Sanders along and even with the 24-10 win over the Raiders in Week 12, there’s no reason to think they will accelerate the process now.
Says Cabot: “They have been so thoughtful and deliberate about how they have developed Shedeur since the moment he set foot on this campus, and they have not wavered from that. Even in the face of intense, insane criticism, they have stuck to their guns.”
Don’t Expect a Browns Shootout
According to Cabot, the focus for the Browns and head coach Kevin Stefanski will remain steady development, and that’s not likely to come by attempting to get into a shootout with the 49ers, by treating Sanders like Warren Moon.
“They’re just not going to be like, ‘Oh, go for it. Let it all hang out. Let it rip,’” Cabot said. “Because if he starts to do that and they take those reins off, it could be detrimental for everybody involved, including him and his development. You really don’t want to hurt and shatter the confidence of a rookie quarterback.”
GettyKevin Stefanski of the Browns.
Shedeur Sanders Wants to Seize the QB Job
The 49ers will have a lot to say about what Sanders sees and how offensive coordinator Tommy Rees reacts. Though respected coordinator Robert Saleh will be on the opposite side, the 49ers defense has been ripped by injuries and free agency, and ranks just No. 23 in coverage and No. 27 in pass rush, according to Pro Football Focus.
That means, as Cabot says, there is an opportunity there for Sanders. If he wants to claim the Browns’ starting job going forward, this is a big chance to get momentum going.
“He can seize the moment. He certainly believes that he can be that guy,” Cabot said. “And now it’s incumbent upon him to go out there and prove that he can be.”
But he will, though, still be contending with a coaching staff that will remain conservative in its approach.
“I would have to think that he has exceeded their expectations in terms of just coming up the learning curve as far as reading defenses and the pre-snap process,” Cabot said. “As we have talked about, they simplified it for him as much as they could and they took some things off of his plate in terms of sliding the protections. … They kept things a little simple for him. But he does have to take it up a notch in this particular game. He is gonna have to take it up a little bit.”
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