Shedeur Sanders era in the NFL started with the right foot on Friday afternoon, as the rookie Cleveland Browns quarterback balled out and lead his team to victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Shedeur, who was drafted after rookie QB Dillon Gabriel – who didn’t played because of a hamstring injury -, was on a mission to show the league that he has the talent, skills and determination to be a starter.
And he did just that: he completed 14 of his13 throws, had 138 passing yards with two touchdowns, as well as getting sacked once. Sanders‘ contributed in a big way to the Browns‘ 30-10 win, which boost the franchise with confidence going into Week 2 of the preseason, when they will face the defending champions Philadelphia Eagles.
Shedeur Sanders desperately looks for a rival
Rookie quarterback sensation Shedeur Sanders wasted no time making an impression in his preseason debut, leading the Cleveland Browns past the Carolina Panthers with two first-half touchdown passes to two-year wide receiver Kaden Davis.
After the game, Shedeur was seen scanning the field for his former Colorado Buffaloes teammate Jimmy Horn Jr., now a Carolina Panther, showing the bond they built under Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders guidance in their time with the Buffs.
From pinpoint throws, including a 30-yard one-handed grab by undrafted wide receiver Luke Floriea, to scrambling for first downs, Sanders proved his competitiveness-and his loyalty-are just as strong at the pro level. If he continues to show that, he definitely needs to have a shot at the starting job.
A collaborative effort, the key for the Browns
After the Browns win over the Panthers, Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that he liked the way his team worked together in order to achieve the victory. “I thought there were a bunch of play where the guys were working together.”
He added that the situations were invaluable for Shedeur Sanders and for all of the offense. “We got a third-and-1 where he had a quarterback sneak. I mean there’s just a lot of football and that’s by design with him getting a ton of reps in this game and he’ll get a ton of reps next week as well. That’s all part of our development of our young players.”
There were also moments of growth as the rookie adjusts to the league. On two of his scrambles, while Sanders was able to evade pressure and throw the ball away, he was pushed back down the field. On both plays, he found his way back closer towards the line of scrimmage and got rid of the ball.
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