Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Called Out During Preseason Flop
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders did not have the preseason outing he had hoped for on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Browns started Joe Flacco for the preseason finale and rookie Dillon Gabriel also saw about a quarter of play. Kenny Pickett remained on the sideline as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
Flacco was nearly perfect, completing nine of his 10 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. Gabriel was 12-of-19 for 129 yards and a score. The majority of production for Gabriel came on a 2-minute drill touchdown drive before the half.
Sanders played nearly the entire second half but faced consistent pressure and struggled to make anything happen. Many fans noticed Sanders reverting to some of his bad habits from college, particularly drifting backwards when he faced pressure. It resulted in multiple sacks, including a 23-yard loss in the third quarter.
“Shedeur got to stop with that fading and if you get away from the first guy launch that thing in 3rd row don’t take the sack,” one fan said. “That’s his No. 1 issue can’t make a bad situation worse.”
“Dillon Gabriel is a better quarterback than Shedeur Sanders,” another fan added. “He’s a much quicker processor, has more velocity on his ball, and is quicker laterally which helps him avoid sacks much more often.”
Shedeur Sanders Passes for Just 14 Yards
In all, Sanders completed 3-of-6 passes for 14 yards against the Rams. He was sacked five times for a loss of 41 yards.
It was a stark contrast to Sanders’ first preseason performance, where he looked in control and dynamic. Sanders passed for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers.
Some came to Sanders’ defense, feeling the Browns gave Gabriel a better setup during the preseason finale with playcalling and personnel.
“So Kevin Stefanski gives Dillon Gabriel easy, short routes with max protection,” an irate fan said. “And then gives Shedeur Sanders (expletive) plays with an OL that looks like they just ate a gang of Little Debbie’s. Trade Shedeur.”
Another added: “This game plan by the Browns was intentionally created to have Sanders look bad and fail. Nothing good will happen to the Browns for what they’re doing.”
Browns Will Keep 4 Quarterbacks on Active Roster
Even with the poor performance, Sanders is not at risk of not making the final roster. The Browns are expected to roll into the season with four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.
“It’s not much of a decision for us. All four guys have done what we’ve asked. Obviously, three of them have dealt with injuries throughout their time here,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said during an in-game interview during the team’s final preseason game. “The reality of it is, you have 53 roster spots, five are really developmental or inactive spots. Plus, post-COVID, the roster rules are so much more flexible. You can build your game day roster pretty creatively. Quarterback is the most important position in sports. We have a room where we like all the guys in there. We don’t see it as a problem, we see it as more of an opportunity.”
The Browns open the regular season on Sept. 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
