Shedeur Sanders finally got his shot to show what he can do on an NFL field, but the rookie quarterback failed to rise and meet the challenge.
The Cleveland Browns held a 16-10 lead heading into the locker room, emerging for the second half absent starter Dillon Gabriel due to his entrance into the league’s concussion protocol. Sanders connected on just 25 percent of his 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception. He also rushed the football three times for 16 yards and fumbled once, though the Browns recovered.
Had Sanders been able to shine in his debut, he could have potentially put enough pressure on head coach Kevin Stefanski and forced his hand into making a permanent change under center. The crowd at Huntington Bank Field made that much clear, absolutely erupting upon Sanders’ entrance into the game in the second half. Fans and media throughout Northeast Ohio have called for Sanders to play over the last several weeks, and he had a real chance to build some momentum moving forward.
However, after the game ended, Stefanski confirmed that Gabriel will get his job back as QB1 as soon as he is healthy enough to do so.
“But a lot goes into that,” Stefanski said of clearing concussion protocol and the prospects of Gabriel returning to the lineup for next week’s outing against the Las Vegas Raiders. “So, we’ll see.”
Kevin Stefanski Gave Vague Answers to Questions About Shedeur Sanders’ Play Against Ravens
GettyCleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Stefanski was not complimentary of Sanders’ play, though said the team has faith in the 23-year-old QB.
“We trust our guys to perform. He’s no different,” Stefanski said. “And playing a backup QB role … that’s tough to come in there. But we trust him. I know there’s things that he’s gonna want to do better, but that’s why we work.”
A reporter asked Stefanski to talk about what, if any, improvements Sanders has made during practice over the last several weeks, as a topic of conversation following the game was that the coaching staff had not afforded Sanders any reps with the first-team offense all season long.
Gabriel was getting some first-team work when Joe Flacco was the starter through the first month of the campaign, though Stefanski did not afford Sanders the same work as QB2 once Cleveland elevated Gabriel to the starting role ahead of Week 5.
“Shedeur has made unbelievable strides in the meeting room, on the practice field,” Stefanski said. “I know he wants to be better, and he will be better.”
Shedeur Sanders Made Postgame Joke Alluding to Lack of Reps With Browns’ First-Team Offense
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
The Browns will presumably prepare for the Raiders as though Sanders will start, as Gabriel’s health will remain a question mark for the next several days at least.
That means putting together a game plan that plays to Sanders’ strengths. It also means he will get regular reps with the first-team offense for the first time in his NFL career.
“I don’t think I played good at all,” Sanders said. “There’s a lot of things we need to look at during the week and go and just get comfortable even throwing routes, you know, with Jerry [Jeudy] and throwing routes with all those guys. I think that was my first ball to him all year.”
Sanders laughed and smiled following his comment about not throwing to Jeudy all season, which read like a subtle shot at the coaching staff for keeping Sanders off of the first-team for the last six-plus months since drafting him.
But Sanders went on to express gratitude for the opportunity to play for the first time since leaving the collegiate ranks.
“The thing that I was excited about is just being able to get out there,” Sanders continued. “It was the first time I got hit since my last game at Colorado, so just having that feeling back, ya know, is good.”
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