Shedeur Sanders wrapped up the Cleveland Browns’ first preseason game with a middling performance, tossing for 79 yards on 6-of-11 passing and throwing one interception against the Bears. After Deshaun Watson had a pretty so-so first half himself, throwing for 126 yards, the stage was set for Sanders to step up in the second half. And, well, it was certainly a mixed bag out there.
Flashes of Brilliance, Moments to Forget
Sanders took the field for three series, extending his playing time into the fourth quarter after initially being slated for just the third. The Browns didn’t manage to score any points during his time, though they got super close on one drive. His absolute best throw of the night came on a critical third-and-13. With pressure bearing down right in his face, Sanders stood tall in the pocket and fired a gorgeous downfield strike to Luke Floriea for a solid 35-yard gain. That’s the kind of play that gets you hyped, right?
But the drive stalled right after that, a tough fourth-and-1 run getting stuffed at the 5-yard line for no gain, ending in a turnover on downs. Talk about a gut punch. Then came his worst throw: an airmailed pass over the middle that got picked off by Beanie Bishop early in the fourth quarter. It just shows you the ups and downs of a young quarterback finding his footing.
What This Means for the Quarterback Room Moving Forward
Despite the rollercoaster outing, there is some serious news coming out of Cleveland: Sanders is officially set to be the first quarterback up for next weekend’s matchup with Buffalo. That’s a huge vote of confidence from the coaching staff, giving him the chance to get those crucial first-team reps against another squad. It tells you they saw enough good stuff, even with the interception, to want to see more of him leading the offense from the jump.
All eyes will be on Sanders as he gets the start against Buffalo. Will he clean up the accuracy issues and lead the Browns to some points? This next game is gonna be a massive test to see how he responds under the spotlight. You know Cleveland fans will be watching every single snap.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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