In Week 13 of the NFL Season, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders got his second start of the season against the San Francisco 49ers. Unfortunately, the final score was 26-8 in favor of the 49ers.
Sanders has only started two games in the NFL this season, so he’s still very well adjusting to the difference in competition between the college and professional levels. One reporter shared an evaluator’s thoughts on why the rookie quarterback hasn’t impressed much so far this season.
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What Did One NFL Analyst Say About Shedeur Sanders’ Game Against the 49ers?
Jeremy Fowler is a writer for the NFL and ESPN, and he wrote about an evaluator’s comments on the start of Sanders’ career.
Fowler wrote, “‘There were a lot of screens and boots on Sunday vs. San Francisco,’ noted one NFL personnel evaluator who watched the game. ‘You can tell they are trying to protect him, which you want to do with almost all rookie quarterbacks. But overall I thought he looked pretty comfortable in the pocket. He just needs time.’”
In three games played this season, Sanders has only 405 passing yards and two touchdowns on 50.8% completion. Additionally, he’s thrown two interceptions and has been sacked six times.
With 405 passing yards across two games, it’s apparent that the Browns are calling plays that don’t require Sanders to make long throws downfield. It’s fine to protect him right now, after all, he is a rookie quarterback who some thought had the potential to go on day one of the draft.
However, it’s not a sustainable formula for winning if the team actually plans to build around him as their lead quarterback, which is another debate altogether. The team will need to take shots downfield and can’t settle for relying solely on screen passes and bootlegs.
On the other hand, the evaluator has also noted what Sanders has done right as a quarterback, which is looking comfortable in the pocket. Perhaps it’s a sign that his confidence is growing, which could lead the team to call more vertical plays instead of horizontal ones at the line of scrimmage, such as screens.
In Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sanders ranked 15th in PFSN’s Weekly QBi metrics with an impact score of 72.8 and a grade of C-. The following week against the 49ers, he ranked 24th in Weekly QBi, with an impact score of 72.2 and a letter grade of C-.
On Sunday, December 7, at 1:00 p.m. EST, Sanders and the Browns will take on fellow rookie quarterback Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans.