The Cleveland Browns lost to the worst team in the NFL on Sunday, December 7, and some fans believed they did so purposefully.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders led the offense to two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, mounting a comeback that ultimately fell two points short. Notably, head coach Kevin Stefanski called for two-point conversions after both scores, and both tries came up empty.
The second two-point try, which would have tied the game at 31-31, came out of the Wildcat formation without Sanders on the field. Stefanski faced a litany of scrutiny for that decision, as angry fans spouted conspiracy theories on social media in the immediate aftermath that the Browns coach threw the game away intentionally so as to position the team better in the 2026 draft order.
Reporters asked Sanders about those theories following the game.
“If I’m out there any play, I wish I would always have the ball in my hand, But that’s not what football is. Sometimes you gotta run the ball. Sometimes you gotta kick a field goal,” Sanders said, adding that the team practiced the play successfully during the week.
“If [the coaches] knew it would pan out like that, I don’t think they woulda did it,” Sanders continued. “I don’t think in any situation if we feel like something’s not gonna be a success we will intentionally call it and then be surprised when it doesn’t work. Any play you go into a game with you expect success, and if that don’t happen, that don’t happen.”
Shedeur Sanders Authored Spectacular Performance in Browns’ Loss to Titans
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders had the best game of any Browns rookie QB in the Super Bowl era, accounting for 364 passing yards, three TDs through the air and rushing score, during which he showed elite evasiveness and scrambling ability.
Considering how well Sanders played, even despite throwing an interception, it was more than just fans who questioned why Stefanski would pull him from the game on the biggest offensive play of the afternoon (the potentially game-tying two-point conversion attempt).
“With Shedeur Sanders OFF the field in the red zone, the Browns inexplicably call this totally unnecessary gadget play contrary to all common sense, logic and what was working in the red zone —whilst missing another opportunity to give Sanders another red zone look after he just drove them down the field,” NFL insider Josina Anderson posted to X. “Not sure what point is being made here…except costing the game potentially.”
Browns May Use Top Pick in 2026 NFL Draft to Select QB to Compete With or Replace Shedeur Sanders
GettyCleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Cleveland is now 3-10 and unquestionably better positioned for next year’s draft after dropping a game to the Titans. Tennessee is now 2-11, tied for the worst record in the league with the New York Giants.
The Las Vegas Raiders are losing to the Denver Broncos by a touchdown at halftime and will drop to 2-11 with a defeat on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints jumped to 3-10 with an unlikely victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14, which puts the Browns in the No. 4 spot in the 2026 draft order as of mid-day Sunday.
Cleveland is a strong candidate to select a rookie quarterback next April, who could ultimately unseat Sanders as the starter, which added more fuel to the conspiracy theory fires on social media.
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