The Cleveland Browns had no choice but to put Shedeur Sanders into their game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, though the team left him in a hard spot for his first-ever NFL action.
Sanders came into the contest during the second half after the training staff sidelined starter and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel due to a head injury, putting him into the league’s mandatory concussion protocol.
But Sanders had never taken a regular-season snap before that moment, and head coach Kevin Stefanski admitted in recent weeks that he wasn’t getting any action with the first-team offense during practice because Gabriel needed that work as QB1.
That came back to bite the Browns, as Baltimore mounted a rally and won the game 23-16. Following the loss, Sanders spoke to media members and wryly acknowledged his lack of preparation from the coaching staff.
“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 said with a smile and a chuckle.
Shedeur Sanders Played Dreadfully in First NFL Action
GettyQuarterback Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns.
While Sanders appeared to call out Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees by joking that he hasn’t thrown a pass to Jeudy, the team’s WR1 all year, he also took full accountability for his poor play.
Sanders finished the day 4-of-16 passing for 42 yards with an interception and a fumble.
“[An opportunity is] all you can ask for honestly — a chance to get out there, get your feet wet, to experience how it feels to even be out there with the team, with the first group, with everybody. So I truly was excited,” Sanders said. “They gave me an opportunity, and I didn’t [perform] up to my expectations, enough to get us a win.”
It is unclear if Sanders will get another opportunity next week against the Las Vegas Raiders, as Gabriel navigates the concussion protocol. But Stefanski did confirm that Gabriel will remain the starter if, and when, he returns healthy.
Shedeur Sanders Nearly Led Browns on Game-Tying Drive in 4th Quarter
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Despite Sanders’ struggles, Cleveland had the football on Baltimore’s 25-yard line with a fourth-and-five and just over a minute remaining on the clock.
The Ravens appeared to jump offsides ahead of the play, and the resulting pressure on Sanders led him to throw an incomplete pass that lost the team the game.
Stefanski acknowledged during his postgame press conference that he believed the Ravens defense was offsides, and offensive guard Wyatt Teller was visibly angry on the sideline following the lack of a call.
An offsides penalty wouldn’t have necessarily changed the outcome, though it would have moved the Browns to the cusp of the red zone with approximately a half-yard to gain for a first down.
Wide receiver Gage Larvadain dropped a pass from Sanders in the end zone a couple of plays prior, which would have given Cleveland the touchdown it needed and a chance to tie the score with an extra point.
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