Mary Kay Cabot on Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel’s injury & Myles Garrett’s greatness

Mary Kay Cabot on Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel’s injury & Myles Garrett’s greatness

Now we got to bring on Mary Kay after a quick word from FanDuel. Guys, the NBA is back. No better place to get it on the action than FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Right now, FanDuel is giving new customers $300 in bonus bets when their 1st $5 bet wins. So head over to. FanDuel.com/UCSS and sign up to play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. If you have a winning ticket, make sure you send it in to us so we can feature it on the show as well. And with that, it’s time to welcome in the Hall of Fame writer Mary Kay Cabott to the show. How are you doing today, Mary Kay? I’m doing great, guys. How are you doing? Mary Kay, we’re doing well. We appreciate you taking the time and I’m sure you heard the conversation, uh, what we were talking about with, with Miles Garrett. Do you, do you agree that when it’s all said and done, he has a chance to go down as the greatest pass rusher in the history of the sport? Yes, I absolutely do. And I didn’t really feel like that a couple of years ago. I did feel like, uh, he took some plays off here and there. I do feel like he tailed off at the end of seasons, and I haven’t seen that over the last few years. This is by far the best season I’ve ever seen him play. I do. I think that he is going to obliterate the sack record of 22.5. He’s definitely, yeah, he’s on pace to do that. He’s on pace to get 25.5 or something like that right now. So I for sure think that he’s going to do that. He knows it’s within sight, but he definitely is. 100% relentless this year, and he’s living up to his potential. And I remember so many coaches along the way always saying he’s got another gear, he’s got another gear, and I always felt like he did too. I thought he needed to dominate and take over games and wreck games, and now he’s doing that. — Mary
— Kay, do you wear a watch? No. I was going to say, are you going to get one for Sunday? For Shador, that, that was a good setup. That was a Mary, Mary Kay, — the Hall of Famer
— was like, — you’re not gonna bait me
— into that. Like I wanna know what was the, uh, overall feeling of Shador coming in the game? Was like guys on the sideline excited when you talked to the team? Was players excited to see Shador out there? And what is the feeling going into this week? Well, I do think that he’s very, very well liked in the locker room. I know players were excited, but they weren’t excited for Dylan not to be out there. It’s not like that at all. This is a football team that understands what it has. It’s got two rookie quarterbacks, 2 developing quarterbacks that are learning the game and require a lot of patience. Now, having said that, I have been hearing, and I tried to get it out of Miles a little bit the other day, that, that when Shador runs the scout team, he’s doing some really good things in practice. Making at least one wow play in each one of those practices. So, players are noticing this. I asked Devin Bush about it yesterday too, and he did say that that Shador is doing a really nice job when he runs the scout team. Of course, everything changes when you get out there in a real football game, and the pressure is on and the heat is on, and you’ve got to read that defense and you’ve got to get away from trouble and all those things. But I think players are excited about what he brings to the table. They’re not excited that Dylan can’t play. Uh, if, if Gabriel gets out of the protocol like next week, does he go back to, to being the starting quarterback, or does it depend on the performance of Shador? I think it depends on the performance of Shador, and I asked Kevin Stefancy that question yesterday because we were told that when if Dylan cleared the protocol, he would be starting this week. So I asked him yesterday, what happens if Shador plays well. Does he get to keep this starting job? I think he should. Obviously, I really do think that he should. This isn’t a situation where you’ve got to go back to your longtime successful starter, and you owe him that. It’s not like that at all. You’re developing two rookie quarterbacks, and you can pivot as needed. And if Shador shows something in this football game that is worth developing and building on, I would for sure give him the start the following week. Uh, you know, Mary Kay, what is, uh, what do you think Shador’s mindset is because we talked about it here, um, you know, we, we, you know, the 5th round pick stuff and whether or not he’s getting reps, you know, at the end of the day. You know that’s water under the bridge. It’s about what we’re doing now and if he gets those opportunities now, um, do you think he’ll have a little bit, uh, of more of pep in a step and be more locked in because like you said, this could be an opportunity to audition to be able to take more reps and keep this job long term to show what he can actually do. Yes, absolutely. I think he’ll have more pep in his step. He functions and flourishes and thrives in the spotlight. And when he’s the man, and when he’s throwing up that wrist, and when he’s legendary and all of those things, he was born to be a star, really. And so I think he’s going to embrace it this week. I think he’s going to be just over the moon. Excited for this opportunity. I think he’s going to work really hard like he has already been doing. And I think he’s going to really, really try to make the most of it. Of course, he’s going to need help. And I think when I look back to this game, and I, I said this on the radio today too, the number one thing that you need from your quarterback, no matter what happened before in the football game, is to give your team a chance to win in the end. And he did that. He threw the ball to. Larvadan in the end zone with a chance to win the game, and he put it on the money. And I, you know, I think that’s what you want out of your quarterback. So I was actually impressed with that, and that to me trumped a lot of what went on beforehand. So he did what he needed to do in the big moment, and that’s what he’s going to have to do again on Sunday. Mary Kay, um, the, the biggest criticism of Shador on the field. Uh, was noticeable again this week, and that’s when he’s under pressure, he starts running backwards, right? And instead of taking a four-yard sack, he’s taking a 14-yard sack. That’s something that’s been an issue in his game. It’s something obviously he has to continue to work on. How can the Browns, it’s a tough question, but how, what can the Browns do to help him this week to try to, you know, not put himself in those situations. Well, it has to be a point of emphasis this week, and what they’re going to have to do is they’re going to have some, have to have some outlet passes. They’re going to have to have some short opportunities for him to make sure that he feels comfortable checking it down, or he’s going to have to throw it away or do whatever he has to do. He cannot be taking those big, long negative plays and retreating, and that was just, it’s in the heat of the moment. You revert to old habits, and that’s what he was doing there. It’s the thing that they’ve been trying to get out of him since he showed up on the doorstep here, but this was his first chance in a real NFL game, and yes, he did do that twice. He started going backwards, and they’re going to have to do everything that they can to give him completions right there in front of him that he can make or run the ball or if they have to. Call some runs for him. I mean, he should be able to move well enough to get a few yards here and there if he has to. So, so those are some things that he’s going to have to do. And now that they’ve seen him out there in live action for half of a football game, I think they should be able to come up with some things that he can feel really good about on Sunday. By the way, is We, who’s, are the Browns gonna, well, I guess they’re not gonna activate Watson, or they, they haven’t picked up another quarterback to be like the third string emergency guy, have they? No, they haven’t, and they are not activating Watson this week. I wrote that yesterday, so he is, he is not designated for return this week, so that’s not in the cards. And so Bailey will be the backup, and then, you know, they just will not have their emergency third guy. I don’t think at this point maybe that will change. Maybe we’ll show up out there tomorrow and there will be another quarterback or someone coming down the pike or maybe even later today. But as of right now it will be Shador starting and it will be Bailey being the backup and you never know. I mean if Shador. Can’t handle it, then maybe Bailey sees some action. So we’ll just have to see how it goes. But I, I do think that they will be able to devise a game plan that Shador can feel good about and can feel confident with. And just for the record, I would have given him some first team reps, uh, from the start of the season till. Or at least from when Dylan became the starter and he became the backup to now. Mary Kay, I wanna ask you about, uh, uh, the left tackle situation because obviously Robinson left the game. Is he gonna be good because obviously Max Crosby’s coming to town. It’s, it’s, how confident are you that we’ll get, uh, our full starting five, on that lineback? Well, that’s something to watch this week. It’s absolutely something to watch. They’ve got two tackles with knee injuries, not just Cam Robinson, but Jack Conklin left that game with a knee injury as well. And as you mentioned, Max Crosby is going to obviously be playing with his hair on fire. This Raiders team is going to be seeing this as an opportunity to really rattle and get to this rookie. Quarterback and they know he holds the ball. They know he retreats, and it’s going to be like blood in the water if they know that there are tackle issues on this football team. So hopefully, Cam will be back. Hopefully Jack will be back. They’ve got, you know, whatever, 5 days before they have to figure that all out, but it will really, really help Shador if he can have his starting tackles out there. Do you think that Shador is going to galvanize this team like, like, Will they have a spark? Will they have, have a, a, a certain level of energy, a different level of energy, a, a more positive level of energy this week, you think? Well, I think that people don’t realize how much the players really liked Dylan Gabriel in that way. Dylan Gabriel is one of those unifying types of people. He’s a great leader. He’s wise beyond his years. He’s, he’s a guy’s guy. He’s a team player, and players really, really like Dylan Gabriel, in addition to the fact that they really like Shador. Two completely different guys, completely different person. But they, they rallied around Dylan as well, and I know they wish they could have done a better job for him. Now, Shador brings a different element. He does bring entertainment and pizzazz and flair, and he dances between reps, and, you know, he is different in that way, and he will bring some energy, I’m sure. But it’s not like Dylan didn’t do that. And I really do believe that these guys support both players. And I want to add this too, and I wrote a whole story about this after the game because I thought it was vitally important. I really appreciate it that Shador stood up there and went to bat for his friend and fellow quarterback Dylan Gabriel and railed against Dylan getting booed during the game, having those Sanders chants during the game. And I thought it was really cool that he stood up for him and — and spoke out against that and urged fans not to do
— that. You know what I would do, you just touched on it, um. You know, I, I, I, you know, I gained a lot of respect for him, you know, look, everybody wants, you know, people to succeed, but some of the things that he’s done just, you know, first and foremost, going to the projects the way he did, he just gave away, uh, uh, you know, I think a card to a, a single mom, and the fact that, you know, he came out and said, hey, listen, I appreciate y’all, but look, man. I don’t wanna be divisive, you know, I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m a teammate with Dylan and, and when Dylan is playing, please don’t boo this, man, because like that, that can be seen as being divisive and that’s not what we’re trying to do. I thought that was a class act for a guy who’s in a position where they’re both competing, they’re both trying to go out there and win a starting job. Listen, they’re trying to, they’re both trying to live out their dreams and I, and, and both of these dudes play for the Cleveland Browns. I thought that was very classy of him to say that, so I, I’m glad you did highlight that because it just goes to show you. Their team first and foremost. Yes, absolutely. And the thing about Shador, he is very likable. He, like I said, his teammates really, really like him a lot, and I would know, I know how these things go. His teammates really, really like him. He brings fun. He brings a lot of joy. He keeps things light, and that’s, that’s very genuine about him. He’s a good person. And Even though sometimes it comes off as, you know, that he’s immature or whatever, you know, some of that is just sheer playfulness. He is probably going to be that way 5 years from now and 10 years from now. He’s in the spotlight. He grew up with the cameras on him. He grew up with prime, for goodness’ sakes. So he’s got a lot of possession. and personality. I hope he doesn’t lose that, uh, but he is genuinely a very, very good person. And if he turns out to be a really good quarterback, which for Browns fans’ sake, I hope that is the case, uh, fans are just going to absolutely love him. Mary Kay, let’s wrap it up with the guy who was the leading candidate to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year, and that’s Carson Schlesinger. I, I, I’d say he’s made the most impact of any rookie the Browns have had since, you know, 2018 when they obviously drafted Baker. Um, he’s Uh, uh, there’s no way anybody could have thought he’d be this good. He’s been absolutely phenomenal. Uh, maybe the the best rookie in the entire draft. He is amazing. Oh my gosh, he’s amazing. He definitely, I, I really hope for everyone’s sake that he wins NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. I think he deserves it. Every single time I look up, he’s out there making some kind of a big play. His instincts on the field are unbelievable. I can’t believe that he just, he, he has such a nose for the play, a nose for the ball, and he knows where to be. And I remember back when JOK was first starting. He needed to sort of figure out the run fits and where he needed to be at all times, and just the spacing and the timing of it. It’s not that way for Carson Schlesinger. He just goes and he’ll ask questions later. He knows how to make the play. He knows how to get everybody lined up right. It has been amazing. To watch him, and I really hope for his sake and for Browns fans’ sake and for the Browns that he wins that award because I can’t imagine anybody else deserving it more than him. I think he’s playing at an all-pro level. There’s, there’s just no doubt in my mind. Great stuff, Mary Kay. We’ll talk to you again next week. Thank you for joining us. All right. Sounds good. Thanks, guys.

A simmering controversy is boiling over in Berea as the Browns face criticism for how they’ve handled rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders’ development. In the latest episode of Orange and Brown Talk, Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot didn’t hold back her frustration with the team’s approach, igniting what could be called “Reps-Gate.”

The central question: How could the Browns name Sanders the primary backup quarterback without giving him first-team practice reps?

“I think they should have given a few to Shedeur and if they weren’t going to do that, then in my opinion, don’t make him the backup, make Bailey Zappe the backup and wait for Shedeur to get in the football game when he’s ready to play with a game plan designed for him and after he has taken some first team reps,” Cabot argued passionately on the podcast. | https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2025/11/set-up-to-fail-browns-approach-to-practice-reps-called-into-question-after-shedeur-sanders-debut.html

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