With Deshaun Watson still in concussion protocol, many Cleveland Browns fans will finally get their wish on Sunday as Shedeur Sanders is set to make his first start of the season against the New Orleans Saints. Given how porous New Orleans’ defense has been, Sanders has a great opportunity to show off some of the improvements he made over the offseason and help get this team back on track after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.
Most fans and analysts are excited to see what Sanders is capable of after his strong offseason that surprisingly didn’t lead to him winning the starting job out of camp as this regime decided to give Watson one last shot. It turned out to be the right move as Watson has this team at 5-3, but with questions looming about the 2027 quarterback picture, Sanders could provide some clarity on that front with a great performance on Sunday.
While most can’t wait to see the young QB take the field on Sunday, Rob Parker isn’t one of those people. He believes Sanders is going to fall flat on his face and said on a recent episode of The Odd Couple that he foresees him throwing three picks.
“If you’re expecting big things, I’m not. I’m expecting a three-interception game from Shedeur against the Saints. I’m not expecting him to play that well,” Parker said.
What a downer.
The Saints only have four picks this season and are surrendering nearly 30 points per game at home. Those aren’t exactly the type of numbers that would lead one to believe that they’ll get Sanders three times on Sunday.
Of course, throwing interceptions was an issue for Sanders last season. In his seven starts, he threw nine interceptions and had only one game over 210 passing yards. Granted, Kevin Stefanski’s offense didn’t put him in the best position to succeed, and he didn’t have the offensive line or the weapons he’ll have now, so it’s going to be fun to see if he has taken a step forward.
He may only have one or two starts to prove himself not only to the Browns, but to the other 31 teams that may be thinking about trading for him ahead of next week’s deadline. Hopefully he doesn’t throw three picks and prove Parker right.
NEXT: Browns Coach Reveals Where Shedeur Sanders Has Improved Most
