It was a surprise to many to see Shedeur Sanders be named the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback for Week 1 of the preseason. But once head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed none of the three quarterbacks in front of him on the depth chart – Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel – would play, then it began to make sense.
And it left some analysts and fans wondering if the team was setting him up for failure, especially since the Browns were trotting out backups at every position alongside Sanders. But against the Carolina Panthers, Sanders did what everyone was hoping he would: he balled out and made a statement.
Shedeur Sanders impresses lovers and haters in preseason debut
ESPN’s Louis Riddick was one of the major national media members who felt the team was hanging Sanders out to dry right before his preseason debut. He was clearly happy to see Sanders perform well, posting just twice during the game, both after the quarterback’s two touchdowns: “Wow play #1” and “Wow play #2” were Riddick’s posts.
Plenty of other media members couldn’t help but gush at how well Sanders played. He finished the game with 138 passing yards on 14 completions, two touchdowns and 19 rushing yards.
Sanders’ performance is a big step towards him securing a roster spot. This now puts pressure on the other three quarterbacks to perform in next week’s game. Fello rookie Gabriel, in particular, must equal or surpass Sanders with his on-field play.
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