Kevin Stefanski and company came close to defending their home court in Cleveland against Baltimore. A game that the Browns initially controlled ended up being snatched away by the Ravens, who remain second in the AFC North behind the Steelers. In the game on Sunday, November 16, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders entered as a substitute in the second half, and his performance was less than ideal.
The Baltimore Ravens appeared to be out of contention heading into their bye week with a 1-5 record, while Pittsburgh seemed to have complete control of the AFC North. However, the situation has changed dramatically. The recent victory over the Browns wasn’t spectacular, but it certainly improved their record to 5-5. They are now just one game behind the Steelers (6-4) and remain firmly in the playoff hunt.
Shedeur Sanders replaced Dillon Gabriel, who left with a concussion
When Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel left Sunday’s game against the Ravens at halftime with a concussion, Cleveland was leading 16-10. When Shedeur Sanders made his debut in the second half, the Ravens outscored the Browns in the final two quarters, 13-0. Along the way, Sanders completed four of 16 passes for 47 yards and one interception. His passer rating was 13.5.
It’s no surprise. It was his first game. He was forced to face a solid defense on a rising team. What makes the performance even less surprising is that, as head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed after the game, Sanders hadn’t had a single practice drill with the starting offense at any point this season.
Here’s what Kevin Stefanski said about Shedeur Sanders’ performance with the Browns:
“You always try to get your starter ready to play, and certainly when your starter is a rookie, those are very valuable reps,” Stefanski said when asked why Sanders hadn’t gotten reps on the first team. “When your backup is also a rookie, you do everything you can to get our quarterbacks as many reps as possible. After practice, after practice, extra time for meetings“.
“So that’s part of how it works. But the point is, we trust both players. We trust all of our players because of the work they put in.” The Browns will play the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12 of the NFL next Sunday.
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