Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was not seen on the field when the Cleveland Browns returned from their bye week break on Monday.
Sanders has been dealing with a back injury that sidelined him for a Week 8 matchup against the New England Patriots. Despite the time off, Sanders is still working to get back on the field.
“Shedeur is still dealing with the back injury, but getting better,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said.
Sanders suffered the injury late in the week before the Browns faced the Patriots. He tested it pregame but the team decided to hold him out. How Sanders sustained the injury, and the exact nature, are still unclear.
Sanders was planning to stay in Cleveland during the bye week to receive treatment. However, he took a surprise trip to Colorado to surprise his dad, Deion Sanders, before a Buffaloes game. A video released later documenting the trip showed Sanders rehabbing on the plane and at the facility in Colorado.
If Sanders is ready to roll, he’ll back up Dillon Gabriel on Sunday against the New York Jets.
Browns Making Significant Shift on Offense
The Browns’ offense has been struggling, and Stefanski decided that it was time to make a change. He’ll turn play-calling duties over to offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. It’s the second consecutive year that Stefanski has given up play-calling duties midway through the season.
“These are things that I’m always looking at — what can we do better,” Stefanski said of his decision. “I have a ton of trust and faith in Tommy. He’s more than capable, so excited for him. But, bottom line is, we have to just get better collectively — so that’s offense, that’s defense, that’s special teams, that’s players, that’s coaching. So, that’s our charge and that’s what we’re working hard to do.”
The Browns’ offense is averaging 15.8 points and 263.5 yards per game. Both figures rank near the bottom of the NFL.
“I just felt like it was the right time for this. It’s never about one person, whether you talk about a player or a coach. But, obviously, I think Tommy’s going to be himself and that’s what I’m asking him to do,” Stefanski said. “I’ll be there every step of the way to help him in any way I can — like you should with any play-caller. But, bottom line is, he understands what we need to do, which is stay on the field and score some points.”
Browns Sticking With Dillon Gabriel Out of Bye Week
The play-caller will change but Gabriel will remain the starting quarterback for the Browns. He’s gone 1-3 as the starter in Cleveland, passing for 702 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.
The concern with Gabriel has been his inability to spark the offense with chunk plays in the passing game. He’s averaging just 4.9 yards per attempt.
The Browns hope the switch in play-callers will spark more explosive plays on offense. Cleveland faced a similar issue earlier in the year when Joe Flacco was under center before being benched in favor of Gabriel. Since leaving the Browns, Flacco has found new life with the Cincinnati Bengals, throwing for 1,254 yards, 11 touchdowns, and just two interceptions.
His latest performance was his best yet — a 470-yard, four-touchdown outing. For comparison, Flacco managed only two touchdown passes over his four starts in Cleveland this season.
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