CLEVELAND, Ohio — The debate around Shedeur Sanders’ development has taken an interesting turn as the rookie quarterback prepares for his second NFL start against the San Francisco 49ers. After his first victory against the Las Vegas Raiders, a crucial question emerges: Would a repeat performance be good enough?
Sanders’ debut featured some spectacular moments — including a beautiful 52-yard strike to Isaiah Bond — but also revealed considerable room for improvement. While the victory was sweet, the underlying statistics present a more complex picture of his performance.
“I think what you want to see in this game is a step up from the previous game because now this will be his second full week of practice with the starters and he only completed about 50% of his passes in that game, slightly over 50%. That’s not enough,” Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot stated bluntly on the Orange and Brown Talk podcast. “So you’ve got to be hitting some of your regular shots in addition to the kill shots. That can’t be it.”
This reflects the nuanced standard Sanders now faces. While the rookie flashed his big-play potential, consistency remains elusive. Against the Raiders, if you removed his three biggest plays, there was very little offensive production. Can a quarterback who completes just half his passes sustain success in the NFL?
What makes Sanders’ development fascinating is how his big-play ability transforms the entire offense. As Browns beat reporter Ashley Bastock noted: “Now obviously Shedeur wasn’t doing that every play, but I do think back to the 52-yard throw to Isaiah Bond, a play like that to me, almost there’s a direct ripple down effect that then leads to the Dylan Sampson screen. Because of a play like that, it does help open up the shorter passing lanes.”
This ripple effect extends beyond the offense. Myles Garrett’s enthusiastic celebration of Sanders’ deep throw to Bond reveals how a functional offense impacts the entire team. As podcast host Dan Labbe observed: “I had to laugh. Myles Garrett celebrates that big throw to Isaiah Bond and talks about how great of a throw is. I’m sure that was this huge weight lifted off that entire defensive shoulders.”
The 49ers defense presents a different challenge than the Raiders. While they’re missing stars like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, they remain a disciplined unit that will likely focus on taking away Sanders’ deep shots — forcing him to demonstrate growth in the intermediate passing game.
The progression of a rookie quarterback is rarely linear, but this second start serves as a critical data point. Sanders must show he can build on his success while addressing his weaknesses. A repeat performance might be acceptable for a first start, but professional growth demands improvement.
As Mary Kay Cabot warned: “You have to make sure that you’re able to function down for down and sustain a drive. Of course you want chunk plays. But you also need the eight (play) drive and the nine (play) drive and you need to stay on the field and you need to convert third downs because if someone takes away the two or three big plays that you’re going to make a game, then you’re really, really, really going to struggle again.”
For Sanders, the journey from promising rookie to franchise quarterback requires more than occasional brilliance. It demands consistent execution, improved accuracy and the ability to sustain drives even when the spectacular plays aren’t available.
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