Shedeur Sanders and the Cleveland Browns are gearing up for the Cincinnati Bengals in this season’s final game. Sanders has much to prove in his first appearance against them.

On Monday, during a media availability session, head coach Kevin Stefanski laid out his agenda and expectations for the rookie.

“But in this case of the quarterback position, we’re looking to improve on 'this' this week.” 

Stefanski praised the quarterback coach, Bill Musgrave, and offensive coach Tommy Resse before stating what Sanders needs to focus on with them.

“I think coach Musgrave, coach Rees do a great job with all positions,” he said.

“Sometimes those are specific, individual things, whether it’s footwork, ball placement on certain routes, etc.”

The Browns lost 16-17 to the Bengals in September and had managed to score only two touchdowns, and all that was while veteran Joe Flacco was still on the team.

Sanders Needs to Pay Attention!

“I think you get great development and progress when you’re specific about what you’re looking for,” Stefanski further said.

His comments come after the Browns’ matchup against the Steelers in Week 17. Although the Browns won 13-6, Sanders came off a massive letdown and executed one of his worst plays yet.

With only 17 complete passes out of 23, Sanders threw a 2nd and 5 to Jerry Juedy, which the Steelers easily intercepted. The 23-year-old was called out for his poor judgment by many, including Tony Romo.

“Shedeur knows he wants that one back,” Romo said. “That's as poor a decision as he's made in his young career. He's young, but you can't just throw it up for grabs.”

On Monday, in a post-game media interaction, Sanders opened up about his learning curve in the league after earning his starting quarterback position. 

“The main thing is, I just love throwing the ball,” he said.

“I'm able to see the field and the game slow down for sure. In some situations, you can't just throw your dog a bone. You've got to know when it's calculated risk.”

After his first game in Week 11, Sanders’ performances have been inconsistent. He scored three touchdowns against the Titans in Week 14 and proceeded to get sacked five times against the Bears the next week.

Stefanski has coached the franchise without a strong and reliable quarterback this season. He and Dillon Gabriel have been the receiving end of scathing criticism and aggressive responses from fans. 

Sanders has unrivaled support from fans, which was proven after Gabriel and Stefanski were booed during the game against the Bills.

The questions yet to be answered are: Does Sanders deserve such love and support? And will he improve to keep his starting quarterback position intact?

Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Joyita Das