ClutchPoints
Cleveland Browns’ rookie field general Shedeur Sanders finally saw his first true NFL action, rather late as it came in Week 11 of the regular season matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, and according to NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, the Browns set him up to fail before he ever stepped onto the field.
On “Nightcap,” Sharpe blasted Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski for how unprepared Sanders appeared, accusing the staff of mishandling his development. Sharpe criticized the revelation that Sanders had never taken a practice rep with the starting unit before Week 11, saying:
“Shedeur Sanders getting his first taste of inept action for Kevin Stefanski to say the first time that Shedeur Sanders had taken a snap with the starters, with the ones within his game, is malpractice.”
Sharpe doubled down, arguing it was inexcusable for the Browns to reach this point of the season without integrating Sanders into first-team work: “So, for Shedeur Sanders, here we are in Week 11. The man got drafted in May and at no point in time had he taken one snap with the ones is very, disappointing.”
Sanders was forced into duty early in the third quarter after starter Dillon Gabriel exited the game with a concussion. The home crowd at Huntington Bank Stadium roared as Sanders jogged onto the field, eager to see the fifth-round pick, former Colorado star, and legend Deion Sanders’ son get his opportunity.
Sharpe also took a dig at Stefanski, and questioned how the coaching staff, could possibly develop a game plan suited to Sanders’ strengths when they barely knew what he preferred to run:
“Do you think he [Stefanski] had any idea of the plays that Shedeur likes? No. You build your play sheet around the QB and what he likes, what you know he’s good at. You don’t even know what Shedeur’s good at.”
Former NFL receiver Chad Johnson, also on the show, emphasized the importance of tailoring schemes to the quarterback.
“It’s very important for Stefanski to understand and know what his QB likes to do… It’s about putting players in positions for them to succeed and give us best chances to win,” Johnson shared.
Sharpe echoed the same sentiment and concluded by saying Stefanski needs to remove ego from the equation: “Because at end of the day, you got to run what the quarterback feel comfortable with… Sometimes, we want to bring our ego to the party, but it’s not your party.”
The debut quickly unraveled as the numbers reflected his struggles. Sanders completed just 4 of 16 passes for 47 yards with one interception as the Browns blew a 16-10 lead and ultimately lost 23-16. It marked one of the roughest quarterback debuts in the league.
Despite the rocky start, the Browns may have no choice but to turn to Sanders again. With Gabriel still in concussion protocol, [Sanders is expected to make his first NFL start next...
