Shedeur Sanders Will Get His Third Straight Start With the Browns
The Browns’ rookie quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, will have his third consecutive start next Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski after the team’s 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Sanders, selected in the 144th pick of this year’s draft, completed 16 of 25 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown in his first home start on Sunday.Stefanski did not commit when asked if Sanders would be the starter for the rest of the season. Sanders threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. late in the second quarter, giving the Browns an 8-7 lead; rookie running back Quinshon Judkins converted a 2-point attempt on a 1-yard run after the 49ers were penalized for too many men on the field. However, Cleveland couldn’t sustain the momentum. The Browns trailed at halftime, 10-8, and did not score in the second half. With a 10-8 disadvantage and seven minutes remaining, the Browns opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 33-yard line, but rookie tight end Fannin mishandled the snap on a sneak attempt, and the 49ers recovered the ball. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy scored on a 2-yard run nine plays later to put Cleveland at a two-score disadvantage.I would have to analyze it. Obviously, he’s struggling, as all our guys are struggling. I know there are plays he wants back, but we’ll analyze them and correct them.
Kevin Stefanski
This was the second time in the game that the Browns failed on a fourth-and-short attempt; Judkins was stopped on a run from the 49ers’ 20-yard line early in the first quarter when Cleveland was losing 7-0.
At the end of the last quarter, with the Browns losing 26-8, Sanders stayed on the ground for a moment after slipping on a run. A teammate helped him up, he flexed his legs and walked off the field on his own, but returned after a play. Gabriel, who started six games before suffering a concussion in Week 11 that kept him out of the next game, came in for Sanders for the only play he was out.
“It was just an ankle, but we’re okay. We’re okay, though,” Sanders said. The loss left the Browns with a 3-9 record, ensuring their fourth losing season in six years under Stefanski. It’s also Cleveland’s 23rd losing season in 27 seasons since returning to the NFL in 1999. “This team isn’t going to be a microwave thing,” Sanders said. “We’re going to have sparks here and there, but it will take time to develop that chemistry with everyone, to be on the same page with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.
