CLEVELAND (AP) 鈥� Shedeur Sanders finally got the opportunity to show what he could do as an NFL quarterback.
In one half of action, the Cleveland Browns rookie showed he still faces a steep learning curve.
The highly publicized son of Deion Sanders entered with 12:43 remaining in the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens after Cleveland announced that Dillon Gabriel was being evaluated for a concussion. Gabriel was ruled out later in the quarter.
Sanders completed his first two passes, but not much went right after that. with an interception and was sacked twice, finishing with a 13.5 passer rating .
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I played good at all. They gave me an opportunity. I didn鈥檛 do up to my expectations to get us a win. I have to take it on the chin,鈥� said Sanders, who also scrambled three times for 16 yards.
With Sanders behind center, Cleveland gained 44 yards on 28 plays with four first downs in six second-half possessions, going three-and-out twice.
鈥淲e trust our guys to perform. He鈥檚 no different, you know, and playing a backup quarterback role, as we鈥檝e talked about over the years, that鈥檚 tough to come in there, but we trust him,鈥� coach Kevin Stefanski said. 鈥淚 know there鈥檚 things that he鈥檚 going to want to do better, but that鈥檚 why we work.鈥�
Deion Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who coached Shedeur in college at Jackson State and Colorado, was quiet on social media Sunday night after his son鈥檚 debut.
Sanders became Cleveland鈥檚 backup behind fellow rookie Gabriel after Joe Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 7. However, Sunday was the first time he led the huddle with the first-team offense or threw passes to Jerry Jeudy, Harold Fannin Jr. and Cedric Tillman.
鈥淚 think I have heard his cadence like two or three times. I think going out of halftime, we all got on the line, and he said his cadence and we kind of got through it,” guard Wyatt Teller said. 鈥淎gain, a lot of learning, but he played his heart off, put his heart out.鈥�
On his first snap, Sanders threw a 5-yard pass to Tillman. He completed both of his passes for 12 yards on his first drive but struggled with his footwork. He was sacked for an 11-yard loss by Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton and fumbled, with Teller recovering.
Sanders threw his first interception on his second series. On third-and-10 at the Browns 17, Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy got pressure up the middle and hammered Sanders as he released the ball. The throw was off target and picked off at the 30 by Nate Wiggins, who returned it 14 yards.
There was a four-series stretch where Sanders was 0 of 7 with an interception and took a sack.
After Mark Andrews’ 35-yard touchdown run with 2:31 remaining put the Ravens on top, Sanders tried to lead a tying drive. He completed a 25-yard pass to Fannin on the first play. Three plays later, he connected with Jeudy for 10 yards to the Ravens 30.
Sanders and the Browns drove to the Ravens 25 before the drive stalled. Sanders鈥� final pass intended for tight end David Njoku on fourth-and-5 was short as the Browns (2-8) dropped their third straight.
Sanders did take one shot at the end zone on second-and-5, but missed a throw to Isaiah Bond.
鈥淗e just kind of got thrown out there but I think he handled it well. We know what type of player he is and it was good to see him out there,鈥� Tillman said.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said his team didn’t deviate much from its plan when Sanders came in, although they blitzed more often in an attempt to rattle him.
鈥淭he game plan was going to be good for their offensive system and what they鈥檙e doing. We were not going to change that,” he said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know how the quarterback鈥檚 going to look exactly, but you just have to take care of your own business.鈥�
A fifth-round pick by the Browns after some projected him to go in the first round, Sanders was inactive for Cleveland’s first five games as the emergency third quarterback after going 17 of 29 for 152 yards and two touchdowns in two preseason games.
Sanders should get his first extensive practice with the first-team offense this week, depending on how long Gabriel remains in the concussion protocol. Stefanski said Sanders would get his first NFL start next Sunday at Las Vegas if Gabriel can’t play. Gabriel completed 7 of 10 passes for 68 yards in the first half in his sixth NFL start.
The Browns have lost three straight.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a lot of things, you know, we need to look at, during the week and go and just get comfortable, even throwing routes, you know, with Jerry (Jeudy) and throwing routes with all those guys,鈥� Sanders said. 鈥淪o I think that was my first ball to him all year. But other than that, I just think overall we just got to go next week and understand so then we have a week to prepare stuff I like to do.鈥�
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