Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders didn’t have the NFL debut he likely envisioned in their Week 11 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. If he doesn’t fix one bad habit that Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham alluded to on Thursday, Sanders may face similar struggles in his first career start in Week 12.
Very little was clicking for the Browns offense when Sanders relieved Dillon Gabriel in the second half of their Week 11 game.
Perhaps the biggest problem Sanders faced was pressure from the Ravens offense, which led to him drifting back in the pocket and taking sacks for significant losses. Notably, the two sacks the Ravens were able to get on Sanders resulted in a loss of 27 combined yards.
More news: NFL Facing Backlash for Decision on Browns’ Myles Garrett
As Sanders prepares for his first game as the Browns starter going into a game, Patrick Graham warned Sanders against dropping too far into the pocket, a mistake that many young quarterbacks make early in their careers.
“You can check it, all young quarterbacks think that is the move,” said Graham. “They all think that’s the move. I have told y’all before. You can do that, but the monsters are back there. I’m sure Coach Stefanski, Coach Rees, are working on stepping into the pocket. But all young quarterbacks tend to do that. In college, it’s just different. Maxx Crosby, (T.J.) Watt, all those guys. I would stay away from being back there.”
Loading twitter content…
More news: Bills’ Josh Allen Receives Scorching Hot Take From Colin Cowherd
As Graham alluded to, Maxx Crosby is one of the “monsters” that Sanders will have to avoid on Sunday. This could certainly be a huge roadblock in Sanders’ way of putting together a solid performance, as Crosby has been one of the best pass rushers in all of football throughout most of his seven-year NFL career.
Fortunately for Sanders, outside of Crosby, the Raiders’ defense has been far from stellar. Thus far this year, the Raiders have allowed the ninth-most points per game, a big reason why Las Vegas comes into the game with a 2-8 record.
If Sanders can put together a strong performance, it could certainly go a long way in getting more opportunities as the starter in the future. Perhaps more importantly, it would help change the narrative around him as a player, as Sanders has been subjected to a significant amount of criticism after his struggles in his debut.
For more on the Cleveland Browns and all things around the NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.