Shedeur Sanders is getting another crack at the Browns’ quarterback job, and this time the setup looks a lot different.
A concussion to Deshaun Watson after a Week 9 game has opened the door for Sanders to start against the New Orleans Saints, giving him a chance to make a real push for the No. 1 spot. Last season, a head injury to fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel in Week 11 helped Sanders work his way into the starting role. This year, though, Cleveland is 5-3 instead of 2-8, and the Browns are thinking about the postseason.
That changes everything. Watson has the advantage of being the incumbent, and with the team winning, Sanders has a tougher climb than he did a year ago. Still, the opening is there.
The biggest issue for Cleveland’s offense has been Watson himself. His long dropbacks and habit of holding the ball have helped produce a league-leading 33 sacks.
He’s also had trouble with accuracy, often sailing throws over his targets, and he’s averaging less than one touchdown pass per game. On top of that, Watson sits near the bottom of the league in Total QBR at 40.9, average depth of target at 6.7, and batted passes with 9.
Those numbers give Sanders a clear target if he wants to make this more than a spot start. He doesn’t need to be perfect, but he does need to show cleaner quarterback play than Watson has offered.
That starts with the same concerns that followed Sanders last year. In seven starts, he helped the Browns to three wins, but the criticism around him never disappeared.
His 56.6 completion percentage and his hesitation while working through progressions were the biggest red flags. If he can speed up his decision-making and connect on a much higher rate of throws, that would go a long way.
There’s also the matter of how the Browns win. Watson has kept the job in part because the team keeps finding a way, but those wins have rarely been straightforward. Every victory has needed late-game rescue work, and Watson’s slow starts have been a constant problem.
That gives Sanders a different path. If he can get into a rhythm early, put Cleveland in front, and keep the offense steady for four quarters, that would stand out in a big way.
His route back to the starting job is steeper now than it was last year, but it’s still there. The Browns’ record says contender.
The quarterback play says something else. Sanders now has a chance to make that gap impossible to ignore.
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Shedeur Sanders Just Added Real Heat To Browns Saints
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It is the kind of setup that fits neatly into the old bulletin-board material conversation, where a few words can linger long enough to shape the mood around a game. For the Browns, it adds another layer to a matchup that was already going to draw attention because of Sanders first start, and now it comes with a little more bite on the other sideline. [Read more 🡒]