After months of anticipation, fans finally saw Shedeur Sanders take the NFL field in Week 11, during the 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at Huntington Bank Field. Sanders entered in the second half after starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel left with a concussion. He struggled to find his rhythm and clearly showed the inexperience of a rookie. Nonetheless, one Browns teammate is coming to his defense.
Browns’ Myles Garrett Gets Honest With Shedeur Sanders
The Browns recorded another loss, where the defense, currently ranked third in PFSN’s Defense Impact (DEFi), did its part, and the offense struggled. Myles Garrett didn’t allow Sanders to take the entire loss on himself, as the first-year quarterback addressed his teammates.
“He wanted to pin it on himself … I wouldn’t allow him to do that,” Garret said (h/t Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN). “It’s a team game.”
The reason Sanders might be blaming himself for the loss is due to the final Browns drive, in which the offense drove deep into Baltimore territory late in the game, reaching the 25-yard line. However, Sanders couldn’t connect on three straight passes. As a result, Cleveland turned the ball over on downs, allowing the Ravens to run out the clock and claim the victory.
Sanders’ Stats in NFL Debut
Sanders finished the game against the Ravens, completing 4 of 16 passes for 47 yards with an interception and adding three rush attempts for 16 yards. Furthermore, he struggled with short throws, completing just 2 of 8 passes under five yards, which is well below the NFL average of 75.2%, per PFSN.
Afterward, Sanders acknowledged he hasn’t had consistent time working with the Browns’ starting receivers. Even so, he didn’t use that as an excuse for his struggles.
“I think you [saw] it was just rough overall,” Sanders told reporters about his regular-season debut for Cleveland. “It was a rough day overall, but the thing that I was excited about is just being able to get out there. You know, it’s the first time I got hit like since my last game at Colorado. Just having that feeling back is good.
“I feel fulfilled overall when it comes to being out there practicing, going in between the lines, seeing actually what it’s like. I know I’m made for it. I don’t think there was any doubt in my mind that the final drive was going to go down there and score. Things happened, we didn’t, but I was just excited.”
Despite a tough 4-of-16 debut, Sanders’ refusal to make excuses, and his poised final drive showed the mindset he needs and that might shape him into the franchise quarterback Cleveland has long sought.