BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns have committed to a starting quarterback, at least for the next four games, as Head Coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Shedeur Sanders has the job for the remainder of the season.
Stefanski declared Sanders the team's starting quarterback for the remainder of the year, following his impressive outing Sunday against the Titans.
Sanders completed 23 of his 42 passes for 364 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in addition to 29 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. He threw one interception and took two sacks, but he led the offense to back-to-back touchdown drives that would have tied or potentially won the game without two failed 2-point conversions.
"With our quarterbacks and our young players, you're always making sure that you're making the right decisions for our guys. And I think he has constantly gotten better in each one of these games in how he's approached this game. He's been working very hard. So, I feel good about where his development is heading. He knows there are always going to be plays that he can be better and those types of things, but he is very intentional about getting better each and every game he's out there," Stefanski said.
Sanders flashed for the Browns in his first start following Dillon Gabriel's entering concussion protocol in Week 11. His first start featured the three longest passes of the season and gave the Browns a glimpse of explosive potential. Sanders earned his second start against the 49ers despite Gabriel being cleared from concussion protocol.
Over his three starts, he's continued showcasing his ability to push the ball downfield and his impressive accuracy, which was his standout attribute in college. What he's also shown is improvement in his footwork and ability to process an NFL defensive look in front of him.
"His huddle, mechanics and his comfort, and I think he's starting to see things like he flipped the protection this week once and just got things on the same page so that growth is definitely there, it's good to see," said veteran left guard Joel Bitonio after the game.
Stefanski also acknowledged Sanders' growth in those areas, which he attributes to Sanders' dedication to his craft from Day 1.
"I've been really impressed by his work ethic and that's going back since the moment he got here," Stefanski said. "He's still very early into his career and he would tell you the same. You want to have constant improvement in everything you're doing. There's moments in these games that come up that are hard to replicate in practice. You can talk through them on tape, you can talk through them in a walkthrough, and then you get the rep in a game and that's the most valuable learning tool you can have. And I think he will only take all of that and use that to his development moving forward,"
As for Sanders, he spoke after Sunday's game and when asked what he wanted to see from himself down the stretch of the season, went back to the thing he's been focused on all year: hard work and that continued growth.
“Going into next week, of course, there’ll be timing, and you’ll being able to anticipate a little bit more, being able to do different things, see throws I missed, how to get in that rhythm early on. It’s a lot of things, I would say, that we go into a week trying to improve, and we gotta look at the film. I know I didn’t play perfect, so it’s definitely…being able to see that, being able to go over and rekindle my thoughts on what I missed and why I missed it, to get to the root of everything, so then it won’t be a consistent problem. So, every week, we looking to change mentally, physically, and emotionally, so then we all are in a better place for next week," Sanders said.
Sanders and the Browns get their next chance to showcase growth on Sunday in Chicago as they travel to take on the Bears at Soldier Field.
