It turns out that not being named the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback might have been the best thing to happen to Shedeur Sanders. Under first-time head coach Todd Monken, the Browns did not look ready to go in an embarrassing Week 1 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
While Deshaun Watson’s putrid play at quarterback had a lot to do with it, the Browns had many more issues that were exposed in the 34-10 defeat. Under those circumstances, it is highly unlikely that Sanders would have had much more success than Watson, though he wouldn’t have been nearly as bad, either.
With calls for Sanders to be the starter growing louder by the hour, insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com is warning the Browns about making the wrong QB decision, saying that turning to him in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield might damage his confidence.
“The problem with starting Sanders next week in Tampa is that he might not fare any better with an offense that has a long way to go. The last thing the Browns want is to hurt Sanders’ confidence and set him back. Granted, Watson must regroup this week and get his mind right for what awaits him in Tampa if he gets the chance. I’d give him another start in Tampa with a chance to redeem himself in the Mayfield Revenge Bowl,” Cabot wrote.
It is worth questioning whether there is anything that could truly diminish Sanders’ confidence, as he always appears to be one of the most self-assured players there is despite accomplishing very little in the NFL. But Cabot is correct in saying that the Browns’ offense is nowhere near a functioning unit at this point.
Against Jacksonville, Cleveland gained 95 total yards in the first half, with five first downs on six possessions, an interception, and a fumble lost. For the game, the Browns had 11 penalties for 75 yards, were 1-for-8 on third down, and did not score a touchdown until there was less than two minutes to go.
On defense, Cleveland was not any better. Jacksonville scored on its first four possessions, building a 24-0 lead in the first half, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence finished with a career-high 150.6 passer rating. The Jaguars led 34-3 before taking their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter.
It seems like the longer Sanders remains on the bench, the happier the fans will be when he finally gets into the game, if Monken ever decides the time is right for that to happen.
NEXT: Analyst Urges Todd Monken To Make Big QB Change
