Shedeur Sanders’ audition on Sunday for the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback role ended in defeat against the New Orleans Saints.
Deshaun Watson has established himself as Todd Monken’s first-choice QB this season, but he was forced to miss Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. Despite being handed the golden opportunity, Sanders failed to showcase himself in the best light.
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The 24-year-old was sacked a total of five times on Sunday following his comments on being able to get the better of the Saints’ defense. Sanders did throw for two touchdowns and 297 yards, but there was enough in his performance that left Stephen A. Smith feeling as if he had not done enough to prove he is a better option than Watson.
Stephen A. Smith not impressed by Shedeur Sanders’ performance
There is an expectation for Watson to return to the team this weekend when the Browns face the Houston Texans. Although there is no official word on Watson’s status just yet, Smith still believes that Sanders has to clean up the number of sacks he takes before he is considered the starting QB.
“I think Deshaun Watson has led them to victory when he’s been on the football field, particularly with his comebacks. That’s not what Shedeur Sanders did,” Smith said on First Take.
“He did well for himself. The first 54 minutes were a sleepfest; neither team could score a touchdown, and it wasn’t that impressive. But we saw what they did in the fourth quarter, combining for about 30 points or so, so give credit where credit is due: 297 yards passing, not an interception at all.
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“Of course, he got sacked about five or six times, which has been a problem for him. In his eight starts (seven last year and then again this year), he’s been sacked 28 times, which is kind of crazy right now. But in the end, a 114.6 passer rating despite those five sacks: give credit where credit is due.”
Heading into the game, Sanders made light of a question surrounding the Saints’ defense and the study he had done on their weaknesses. His comments immediately felt like an error on his part and the Saints certainly made themselves felt when getting to the QB.
Although Sanders did not throw an interception, it did take him until the final five minutes of the game to throw a touchdown. As Smith said, the opening 55 minutes of the game was a total snoozefest. Having to wait until the final minutes of the game to throw a touchdown is simply not sustainable in the NFL.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
