Despite the Cleveland Browns winning their preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday afternoon, it didn’t stop the controversy surrounding a specific rookie quarterback. No, it’s not Dillon Gabriel. Yes, it was ridiculous/wild/daft/stupid/silly and any other word you might want to use.
It’s the quarterback who they drafted in the 5th round, Shedeur Sanders. Sanders played in two preseason games. The first game? He played well. Second? Not so much.
With the short break between the initial
53-man roster and the Browns first game of the season, let’s look back a bit.
After watching the all-22 of Sanders against the Rams and talking with people who evaluated Sanders during his time in Colorado, it’s clear that Sanders has a clear disconnect between how he wants to play and how head coach Kevin Stefanski wants him to play.
What he needs to change after Rams game
To be blunt, it was bad. The only positive to take away is that head coach Kevin Stefanski realized Sanders was struggling and took him out late in the 4th quarter. The issue that Sanders has is that he is fundamentally disconnected from a playstyle standpoint.
Sanders is known for playing with timing and accuracy, and getting the ball out quickly. However, at times, he has a tendency to try to extend plays when it’s clear he has limitations athletically:
On the 11 dropbacks that Sanders took on Saturday, he was sacked 5 times, and we can argue that 4 of the sacks he took weren’t on the offensive line, but were on him specifically. Yes, we can mention how Sanders had 3rd and 4th string offensive linemen out there protecting him, but most of the sacks he took were egregious.
On the sack that caused the Browns to be put in a 3rd & very long situation, Sanders doesn’t step up into the pocket, goes further back in his drop and the entire play is ruined:
Judging by the zone coverage the Rams were playing, Sanders had a receiver open on this play. The coverage was not air-tight. It was an issue during his time at Colorado, drifting in the pocket, attempting to extend plays, but the outcome is either a sack or a possible turnover.
Sanders has to realize that playing out of structure isn’t his style, and playing with timing and accuracy is.
Don’t believe me? Look at how rookie Dillon Gabriel looked when he was out there. Timing, accuracy, getting the ball out quickly and being decisive. Gabriel might have his limitations, but he understands how to run the offense, and it’s a reason why he is ahead of Sanders on the depth chart.
Gabriel played the way Stefanski wants him to play, and Sanders has to change his style if he wants to have a chance of being the quarterback for the Browns in the near future. He has the work ethic and a good enough coaching staff in Cleveland to help him understand this, but right now, Sanders has to change how he plays in order to be successful.
