In life, you have to take advantage of your opportunities, and it appears on Friday night that Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders may have done just that.
In his NFL debut, Sanders showcased his potential, playing over three quarters and leading Cleveland on two scoring drives. He completed 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns, contributing significantly to the Browns’ 30-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers at Bank America Stadium.
The fifth-round pick in this year’s draft said he was not nervous at all playing in his first NFL game.
“I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t nervous,” Sanders said after the win. “I didn’t really have too much adrenaline. It was just getting comfortable. That’s all it is. [There were] plenty of games before I felt like I was nervous, but I felt like I knew the answers to the test. When you feel unprepared then you don’t feel like you’re ready for the moment. I know I’m ready for the moment. Did I play up to par? No, I don’t feel like I did, but overall, the main goal was to win, and that’s honestly what we did.”
Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, had several standout moments in the game. His impressive throw on the run, resulting in a 30-yard one-handed reception by Luke Floriea, particularly caught the eye of Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
“I thought the scramble, the throw to [wide receiver] Luke [Floriea] where Luke grabbed it with one hand was pretty special by both those guys,” Stefanski said. “And, again, that’s the fun part of this sport. That’s the fun part of coaching. We get to pour everything we got into these young players and you get to go see them perform.”
Because Sanders, who was fourth on the team’s quarterback depth chart, did not get many of the first-team reps during practice, and was thrust into the starting spot after injuries to other Browns’ quarterbacks, many feel he has not been given a fair shot and is being set up to fail.
Despite the challenges, Sanders remains resolute and prepared. He makes no excuses.
“I mean, I think overall in life I don’t want anybody to make excuses,” he said. I feel like making excuses for whatever situation—you ask God for something and it’s there, then you’re going to complain about it? So, there’s two ways you can look at it. You can look at it and be thankful and take full advantage of the opportunity, or look at it like ‘Dang, this is what I’ve been asking for, and I’m not prepared.’ I would say I have been able to sleep good at night knowing I was playing. I didn’t know I was playing until one of those days that was close. I just prepared as normal, but [there was] definitely a switch that kicked in. When you’re out there on the field, it’s just different. You understand, ball is ball. I never—the ball’s never been a problem for me. It’s whatever optics or whatever everybody else makes up after outside the game. In the game, y’all kind of know who I am.”
This was a promising start for Sanders. He showcased his potential with some impressive moments. The future holds the answer to whether this performance will be enough for him to climb the depth chart in Cleveland.
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