CLEVELAND — The Browns just scheduled a week’s worth of talking-head sports shows on the four-letter network.
All it took was for a fifth-round rookie quarterback to replace the third-round rookie starter, who had left the game with a concussion. Oh, and that fifth-round rookie quarterback is the son of arguably the greatest cornerback who ever lived and one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
By the way, in case it got lost in all of that, the Browns (2-8) did lose their third in a row and sixth in their last seven games. The Baltimore Ravens came to Cleveland and rallied for a 23-16 victory.
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That’s not going to stop the overreactions from flowing, though. Not when Shedeur Sanders finally made his NFL debut.
Let’s start with the man of the hour himself.
Shedeur Sanders should just start the rest of the Browns season
That’s what a lot of Browns fans will tell you what they want to see. There are probably some even inside the organization who want that as well. But that’s not going to be the case, at least not yet. In all likelihood, Sanders will get his chance to start for the first time at the Las Vegas Raiders next week. Coach Kevin Stefanski said that decision is contingent on Dillon Gabriel clearing concussion protocol, which isn’t a given nor would it necessarily be wise to start a rookie on the road without any practice before the game, assuming that happens. Keeping the job, however, would be contingent on the next overreaction.
Shedeur Sanders just needs time to settle into the job
The same people who screamed for Gabriel to lose his job after his second start are the ones who will tell you Sanders needs plenty of time to get comfortable. That’s not to say Gabriel’s performance through six starts necessarily screamed patience, but the fact the Browns took him 50 picks before Sanders and committed to him as the starter a month and a half ago means they clearly believe he’s ahead of his fellow rookie. Now, injuries change things, and Sanders certainly could change opinions with his play. That, however, will be something decided by Sanders’ own work.
Myles Garrett is having one of the best defensive seasons of all time
Time to go from quarterback to someone who sacks quarterbacks. Myles Garrett added four more sacks to what will almost assuredly be a record-setting season, at least with regards to his own franchise single-season sack record of 16 in 2021 and 2022. The season Garrett is putting together is fast joining one of the best seasons the NFL has ever seen from a defender. He’s at 15 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, both two ahead of the New York Giants’ Brian Burns for the league lead. Oh, and he still has seven more games to only add to what is looking like another Defensive Player of the Year season. At his current rate of 1.5 sacks per game, Garrett will finish the season with 25.5 sacks — three more than the New York Giants’ Michael Strahan in his recording-setting 2001 season.
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns Week 11 overreactions vs. Ravens is all Shedeur Sanders (and the DPOY favorite)
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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