The Cleveland Browns picked up a road win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12, as Shedeur Sanders made his first NFL start at quarterback.
Sanders played well on the road as he managed the offense and didn’t make many mistakes. Despite being the first Browns quarterback to win their debut since 1995, Sanders wasn’t given a game ball.
Instead, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski gave the game ball to Myles Garrett, who had three sacks and two forced fumbles. Now, Stefanski explained the decision, as many thought the coach should’ve given two game balls out.
“I mean, every game you go into it trying to just highlight guys,” Stefanski said on Wednesday. “You know, Myles (Garrett) got a game ball. I thought it was probably pretty worthy, but you’re just constantly trying to recognize your guys. We spent time this morning as well pointing out all of our guys and the jobs they did.
“Point out Gage (Larvadain) having a big punt return, which was huge for our team. Your D-line doesn’t get 10 sacks unless the coverage is really good. Obviously, a rookie starting his first game on the road, getting a win is huge. So, you acknowledge all that with your team.”
Although Sanders didn’t get a game ball, he will get his second-straight start on Sunday when the Browns host the San Francisco 49ers.
Sanders ‘Thankful’ to Start Again for Browns
Despite Dillon Gabriel being cleared from concussion protocol, Sanders will remain the starter for the Browns on Sunday.
Sanders said he’s thankful for the opportunity, but he knows he still can be much better.
“I was really thankful for being out there, of course,” Sanders said on Wednesday. “And it’s everything, you know, in the midst of a game that you could progress on. When it comes to, like, even footwork, when you hand the ball off, locating defenders, understand that the windows do close a little bit quicker, there’s a lot of things that you could go back in a game and look back and want to redo.”
Sanders went 11-of-20 for 209 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception, as he showed some flashes, which is why he’s starting again.
Browns Coach Praises Sanders for Handling Emotions
Since Cleveland selected Sanders in the fifth round, Browns fans had been clamouring for the rookie to start.
When Sanders got into action two weeks ago, Browns fans cheered, as he has gotten plenty of support from the fans. Stefanski praised Sanders for handling the pressure and emotions.
“I think he’s done a nice, he’s always done a nice job of that,” Stefanski said. “You know, what we appreciate about all of our players is authenticity. He’s the same guy every single day. Obviously, on game day, there’s a juice that comes with that, there’s an excitement that comes with that. But he’s played that position for a long time, he knows how to make sure he keeps the main thing, the main thing.”
Sanders will continue to remain the Browns’ starter for the time being. But he will have a tough test on Sunday against the 49ers‘ defense.
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