Cam Newton drops bold statement on how he believes Kevin Stefanski is handling Browns QB Shedeur Sanders
The Browns rookie made his debut against the Ravens in Week 11.
The Cleveland Browns are now 2-8 on the season, and their 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens offered the first real look at rookie QB Shedeur Sanders. Dillon Gabriel exited at halftime and entered the concussion protocol, forcing Sanders to play the entire second half.
Sanders’ NFL debut didn’t go well, and the Browns’ offense stalled in a major way after halftime. The rookie fifth-round pick completed just 4-of-16 passes with an interception and a fumble that was fortunately recovered by Wyatt Teller. There’s plenty of room for growth after a rough debut in which Sanders was thrown into the fire against a division rival.
Cam Newton rips Kevin Stefanski for his handling of Shedeur Sanders
Sanders’ first snap of the second half was also the first snap he had ever taken with the starting offense — something Kevin Stefanski admitted after the game. Because Gabriel is a rookie, the Browns chose to give him all of the first-team reps in practice. That was not the case with veteran Joe Flacco, as Gabriel still received starter reps early in the season when he was the backup for the first four games.
“I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: I do not think Kevin Stefanski wants Shedeur Sanders to succeed in Cleveland,” Cam Newton said on Monday. “If I’m Shedeur or I’m a Shedeur Sanders fan, I would not want him to take the field. Because that’s going to consistently be the display we’re going to see.”
Newton continued by criticizing Stefanski’s distribution of practice reps, pointing out that Ron Rivera always gave backup Derek Anderson 8–12 reps with the starters during his time in Carolina. Stefanski has not taken that approach with Sanders, largely because the current starter is also a rookie. Whether that decision is right or wrong is certainly up for debate.
Considering that Stefanski’s seat is at least somewhat warm, and that winning games would help his job security, it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t want Sanders to succeed. The odds are stacked against Sanders as a fifth-round pick, but the Browns have every incentive to help him succeed when he’s on the field. Stefanski would not be in this position if he wished for his own players to fail.
The Browns will travel west to take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, and if Sanders starts, he’ll have a full week of preparation under his belt. Cleveland would be far better positioned with him having a full week of reps rather than being thrust into action at halftime. If Sanders is out there, he’ll have a chance to capture the excitement of the fanbase.
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Shedeur Sanders took a stand to fans following his debut against Ravens for Browns QB Dillon Gabriel
A professional route taken by the Browns’ rookie quarterback.
