Shedeur Sanders playing at the same level as my starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns by 2025. This is a new and important chapter in his career. Over his first four starts, he’s passed for 899 yards with five touchdowns. Even though he’s undoubtedly dealt with his share of hurdles, he has, at times, displayed glimpses of promise. It has created questions about his decision-making process and ability to perform under pressure during games.
During this four-game stretch, Sanders has taken an average of 3.35 seconds to throw, the longest of all qualified quarterbacks by a wide margin. He just spends a lot more time in the pocket, relishing the opportunity to look downfield. Yet, this effort places him under intense fire. Since Week 12, he’s been under 14 unblocked quarterback pressures. This draws him even with Cam Ward for the second-most in the league.
Sanders are looking forward to the fifth of those combined starts with the Buffalo Bills this Sunday. Coaches and analysts alike are eager to judge his early success and the lessons he’s taken away from these first few games.
The Learning Curve
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has stressed developing these early experiences into growth opportunities for Sanders. He observed that young players going through the fire helps to forge them.
“I think with young players, there’s growing and there’s learning that happens… sometimes there’s moments that aren’t going to go your way, and you learn from those,” – Kevin Stefanski
Sanders’ journey hasn’t faced smooth sailing. In Week 13, he put forward his most discouraging outing vs. the Chicago Bears. He threw three interceptions, contributing to a demoralizing 31-3 defeat. Despite the constant pressure, his performance in Week 14 was a testament to his resilience and injured capability. He amassed 393 yards of offense and accounted for four touchdowns, including in a 31-29 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Stefanski’s understand he had several areas to improve. The need to recognize the role that creative, cartoony opposing defenses can play was equally important in his remarks.
“And at times you tip your cap to the defense and you say they made a play… could be footwork, could be who you’re keying, could be decision,” – Kevin Stefanski
Pressures and Performance
Facing down discrimination all the time It’s one of the big features of Sanders’ formative years. Ever since Week 12, he’s been under pressure on almost 44 percent of his dropbacks. This puts him second league-wide, just behind Justin Herbert. That pressure has now forced Sanders to make some hard choices. Those decisions certainly contributed to his overall challenges with turnovers and downfield accuracy.
Only 27% of Sanders’ passes have come in less than 2.5 seconds. It’s the lowest rate among qualifying quarterbacks since Week 12. He has a tendency to pat the ball a bit while looking for plays downfield. This method has led to seven cumulative weeks of pressures while on the playing field.
Even in the face of these hardships, hope is in the air. First off, coaches have reported improvements in his footwork and pocket presence that have helped his overall development as a quarterback.
“Obviously our focus for our passing game is to keep the quarterback clean and obviously get the ball out on time,” – Kevin Stefanski
Moving Forward
Sanders is still in the process of learning and adjusting to the speed and complexities of the NFL game. He’s just as committed to developing positive chemistry with his receivers. His commitment to learn and improve from these experiences will be key as he continues to grow into a better quarterback.
Stefanski has been consistent with his message that every player’s path is going to be a little bit bumpy.
“There’s going to be really good games. There’s going to be games you want back… We’ll learn from those, we’ll grow from those, and we’ll be better from those,” – Kevin Stefanski
Looking ahead to the matchup against the Buffalo Bills, both fans and analysts will be keenly observing Sanders’ ability to leverage his early experiences into improved performances on the field.
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