Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders announced himself to the world with an elite showing against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14, but his encore performance against the Chicago Bears will come absent two important members of his supporting cast.
The Browns will be without tight end David Njoku and rookie running back Dylan Sampson at Soldier Field on Sunday, December 14, according to the team’s official injury report. Njoku is dealing with a knee injury and did not practice all week, while Sampson is battling calf and hand issues and also sat the full week of practice.
Njoku has 33 catches for 293 yards and four TDs this season, while Sampson has caught 28 passes for 259 yards and two scores — including Sanders’ first-ever touchdown pass in Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Other players of note who won’t dress for the game include offensive guard Wyatt Teller, cornerback Denzel Ward and quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Shedeur Sanders Confident in Connection With All Browns Pass-Catchers
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders won the Rookie of the Week award for Week 14, despite his team falling by two points to the visiting Titans. Tennessee entered the contest as the sole one-win team remaining in the league.
But it was not Sanders who was responsible for Cleveland’s failure to capture its fourth win of the season, as he threw for 364 yards and three scores. Sanders also rushed for 29 yards and a TD. He was responsible for one interception.
And while Sanders won’t have Njoku or Sampson this week like he did during the last, the QB spoke confidently to reporters Wednesday about his connection with rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. specifically, but also to the rest of his pass-catchers.
“He’s just in the read, he’s open. I think you gotta know everybody’s skillset and know what they do well,” Sanders said. “And as time goes on, we’ll be able to build that trust, build that chemistry.”
“[But] it’s kind of like matchups, reads, what the defense is doing. Like, that’s who I tend to want to throw the ball to — whoever the defense isn’t really covering like that,” Sanders continued. “It’s not really, ‘This is my favorite guy. Let me just throw it to him.’”
Shedeur Sanders Unfazed by Frigid Temperatures Forecasted for Chicago
GettyQuarterback Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns.
Sanders played his college football in Boulder, Colorado. Every regular season snap he has had during his rookie season in the NFL has come during the months of November and December, and Cleveland plays in an outdoor stadium.
That said, Sanders will experience something entirely novel when he takes the field in Chicago on Sunday, where the temperature could be as low as -2 degrees with a high of 14 degrees, per Pro Football Talk. Windchill could push the on-field atmosphere all the way to -15 degrees at some points during the afternoon.
But Sanders said he is not fazed by what is coming his way.
“Honestly, I’m not,” Sanders said. “One thing you don’t want to be is mentally defeated before you get there. … However it feels out there just comes with it. We could prepare the best we can and do everything we can to bundle up. I know you see the two sleeves I’m wearing now, so we definitely had to change the style a little bit to make sure I stay warm.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Shedeur Sanders Down 2 Targets for Chilly Browns-Bears Showdown appeared first on Heavy Sports.