BEREA, Ohio — Are seven starts a big enough sample size for the Browns to know if Shedeur Sanders can be their quarterback of the future?
He’s 1-2 as a starter, but has shown tremendous growth week-by-week, especially during last week’s 31-29 loss to the Titans, in which he nearly pulled off the comeback with two touchdowns in the final 4:27.
He showed incredible poise, moxie, toughness and playmaking ability, and bolstered his bid to prove to the Browns that they don’t need to draft a Fernando Mendoza or Ty Simpson in April.
But are four more starts enough to convince them they don’t need to draft a QB high and can spend their two first-round picks on perhaps an offensive lineman and a receiver? Or other premium positions?
“We’re going to take it one day at a time,” offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said. “I don’t think you learn about quarterbacks in year five and year 10 and year … Like I don’t think you ever stop learning and evolving with those players. Certainly we’re going to pour everything we have into our group right now and we’re going to continue to find ways to improve and find ways to put emphasis on certain things and continue to get him ready to play. You’ve already seen some growth.
“We’re excited to continue to take that one day at a time and continue to see growth take place. At the end of the year, we’ll evaluate it and we’ll continue to move forward in our focus on improvement of our players.”
Even Sanders knows that he’s got to keep proving himself and that nothing is given, saying on Wednesday “if I’m here, I’m here; if I’m not, I’m not.” But his performance vs. the Titans went a long way towards showing the Browns that they might have their franchise QB in the house. Going 23 of 42 for 364 yards with three touchdown passes and one interception en route to a 97.7 rating, Sanders showed off his elite accuracy and continued to impress with his elusiveness. He also rushed for a touchdown and displayed great toughness in absorbing 14 hits. For his efforts he earned NFL Rookie of the Week honors.
“You’re looking at all your players, all your young players to see just gradual improvement on the areas that you’re focused on,” Rees said. “I thought he did a really nice job of moving in the pocket, stepping up in the pocket. He had some opportunities to step up and attack the defense, whether it was throwing the ball on the move, we hit Harold (Fannin Jr.) on a good one there in the two-minute, and we’re climbing in the pocket and finding Jerry (Jeudy) on the in-cut when climbing in the pocket, and running when it needs be.
“Those are signs of improvement in those areas. Operationally we were clean. That’s what you’re after with all your players, specifically the young guys, is. Are the things that you’re trying to ask them to do and are the things that you’re focused on being accomplished? Credit to him and credit to Coach Musk (quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave) for continuing to get him ready to play.”
Sanders’ footwork, which was a little off the week before in the loss to the 49ers, improved considerably last week. He attributed that in large part to trusting what he was seeing in his receivers.
“The overall improvement of our footwork and our understanding of what footwork applies to what concepts and our ability to work through progressions,” Rees said. “’He’s put a lot of work in these last few weeks to get ready to play these games. And you see the steps as he progresses which is again what you’re after with your young players.
“What you’re after with all your players is, are they coachable? Are they applying some of the things that you’re trying to ask them to do? And he’s shown that. And obviously he played a nice game for us last week and really made some plays that showed those signs that he’s improving in those areas.”
The 60-yard catch and run for a TD by Jerry Jeudy was one example of a high-level play by Sanders, who stepped up in the pocket and placed the ball perfectly in Jeudy’s hands over the middle, where he had a clear shot to the end zone.
“We ran that play the first play of our second drive, we hit Harold on an in-breaker for like 16 or 17 yards there to our left,” Rees said. “It was the same play. We just aligned it a little differently and they played a different coverage, which would get you to your second or third part of your progression, which is what happened on the second play.
“And it’s always a good thing when you’re in the box yelling, but when you’re talking about getting to a route and then it happens in that moment, you’ve got it. You and the player are on the same page as you’re watching it.”
He noted that the excellent protection on that play helped considerably.
“We were in empty protection, no help on the tackles, and we were able to really stay in the cylinder and deliver a great throw,” Rees said. “And then Jerry did the rest for us. But that was a repeated call in the first half there and we were able to continue to get through our progression vs. a different look.”
Sanders wanted his interception from that game back, and he’ll have to be on the lookout this week for the Bears’ ball-hawking defensive backs. They lead the NFL with 18 interceptions, including six by safety Kevin Byard III and five by cornerback Nahshon Wright.
“One of the things that we had talked about throughout the entire game is like, he was making great decisions, right?” Rees said. “When to scramble, when to step up, when to throw it away, when to play the play as it’s intended to be played. Like, don’t get bored with making the right decision. We had hit a good chunk there to Harold two or three plays before, and we come right back to a run. We get called for a holding. Now we’re first and 20. We’re incomplete on first and 20.
“Now we’re second and 20 and don’t feel like we need to press. Let’s just get half of it back. We’re kind of right there on the fringe of field goal range.”
Bears coach Ben Johnson praised Sanders for his quick development over his first three NFL starts.
“He’s doing a great job as a rookie,” Johnson said. “He was able to sit in and soak in that offense over the course of the spring and the summer and early in the season. You can tell that that’s probably benefited him to a degree, because now he’s able to go out there and let it loose. He does a great job of extending the play and creating on his own as well. So, I think (Kevin) Stefanski does a phenomenal job.
“He’s played with not only Shedeur but also the other rookie quarterback. And I think he does what he can to help those guys develop and find some easy completions to get them in a rhythm and get them going. They’re dangerous players. They can get hot and make you hurt in a hurry. So last three weeks, you kind of feel a little bit of a spark there on offense with Shedeur out there.”
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has been equally impressed with Sanders’ playmaking ability.
“He does a good job,” Allen said. “Obviously, you still see some signs of a rookie quarterback. But in terms of being a rookie and composure in the pocket, I think you have one pass to Fannin down the defensive left side line, where he stood in the pocket, took a shot in the pocket, yet presented a really good ball for the receiver to catch. So I see a guy that’s got good pocket presence. I see a guy, when he’s out there, that can create. So I think he poses some significant challenges.”
Sunday against the Bears marks Sanders’ fourth chance to prove to the Browns that he’s their man.
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