Dawgs By Nature
It’s the preseason, but it hasn’t stopped the buzz surrounding the preseason performance of Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Sanders got the nod against the Carolina Panthers and he made the most out of the opportunity that was given to him. Granted, he went up against part of the Panthers defensive starters and some of the second team but Sanders didn’t look overwhelmed in the slightest.
It was inevitable that this question would be asked, but if Sanders were to continue to improve for the last two weeks of the preseason, would the Browns start him in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals? It’s been a mixed bag from fans and media on whether the team should start Sanders in the opening week, including these two examples:
Why not? Everyone knows that the Browns are not contending for the Super Bowl this year, and making the playoffs isn’t the end goal. The QB room is crowded, but as of now, there isn’t a long-term solution at the position.
If head coach Kevin Stefanski feels comfortable starting a rookie quarterback over veteran Joe Flacco, it would be a first in the Stefanski era to go this route. Sanders has shown that he’s capable of playing in the NFL through one game and it looks as if he has taken the necessary steps to gain traction up the depth chart.
The first six weeks of the season are going to be difficul,t but if Sanders has shown he’s ready to lead, it shouldn’t be an issue.
The last thing you want to do to a rookie quarterback is harm their development. We’ve seen in this league teams throw their rookie quarterback into the deep end of a pool, expecting them to swim and stay above water. Has it worked? In some cases, it has. Others? Not so much.
The Browns are handling Sanders’ development as well as anyone. The team doesn’t have to throw Sanders in the fire and risk harming his development. If you were to look at the Browns first six weeks of the season, five of the six opponents were playoff teams last season. When it comes to the potential defenses he could face, four of those defenses ranked in the top 10 in terms of Defensive EPA/per play last season (Baltimore was 11th).
Sanders could face a less stiffer test against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that looks the same on paper and could potentially be worse despite the coordinator change, but the Ravens and Vikings defenses are no joke, and the Steelers have always had a good defense for as long as anyone can remember (as far as the 1st half of the season)
There are pros and cons to starting Sanders in Week 1, but if it were up to me, starting Week 1 isn’t necessary. Start Flacco, and when Flacco’s time is up, transition to playing Sanders if he has worked his way up...
