Fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders made his extremely anticipated NFL debut in Sunday’s 23-16 loss to the Ravens after starter Dillon Gabriel left the sport at halftime as a consequence of a concussion.
Sanders struggled mightily, finishing 4 of 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception. The Browns had been outscored 13-0 within the second half in opposition to a Ravens workforce now on a four-game successful streak.
It was one of many worst quarterback debuts in current reminiscence (minimal 15 passes for the notes beneath):
- Sanders had essentially the most inefficient NFL debut (-0.80 EPA per play) by a quarterback since Ian E book in 2021 (E book’s solely profession begin).
- Sanders averaged the fewest yards per dropback (1.7) in an NFL debut since Ryan Lindley in 2012.
- Sanders averaged the fewest yards per try (2.9) in an NFL debut since Quincy Carter in 2001.
- Sanders had the bottom completion charge (25%) in an NFL debut in 41 years (1984 Scott Stankavage).
That is concerning the worst doable firm you possibly can ask for, exterior of perhaps Carter, who had one productive season in Dallas.
It was probably the worst half of soccer all 12 months. There have been 116 second halves the place a quarterback had 20-plus dropbacks this season — and Sanders’ NFL debut had the worst EPA per play (-0.80) of all of them.
To his credit score, he supplied an trustworthy evaluation after the sport. “I do not assume I performed good in any respect,” Sanders mentioned. “I believe it is numerous issues we have to have a look at in the course of the week and go and simply get snug even throwing routes with Jerry (Jeudy) and throwing routes with all these guys. I believe that was my first ball to him all 12 months. However apart from that, I simply assume total we simply gotta go subsequent week and perceive so then we’ve per week to arrange stuff I love to do.”
So case closed, proper? Sanders is a horrible participant. Groups had been proper to let him fall within the draft and all of the critics who anticipated this will say I advised you so. Not so quick. It is only one half of soccer. And sure, it was about as dangerous because it might have gone, however I dug deeper into his efficiency to see what else stood out.
Here is what I discovered.
Baltimore introduced relentless strain
This was a extremely robust project for an NFL debut. The Ravens lead the NFL in defensive effectivity throughout their four-game win streak and completely teed off on Sanders.
He was blitzed on eight of his 21 dropbacks with abysmal outcomes. The Browns gained -27 whole yards (sure, that is unfavourable 27 yards) on these eight blitzes, the fewest yards by any workforce in a half when blitzed this season.
It wasn’t just like the Ravens had been sitting again in forestall protection. Fairly the alternative truly. They had been down 16-10 at halftime, in order that they threw the kitchen sink at Sanders. They used a defensive again cross rusher on seven of these eight blitzes.
Welcome to the NFL, Shedeur Sanders! Meet Kyle Hamilton. This was Sanders’ first crack at a third-and-long. Hamilton busted up the center and put the operating again in a blender on a spin transfer and took Sanders down. Cornerback Keyon Martin additionally introduced the warmth from the slot as Baltimore despatched two defensive backs on the sack.
Sanders struggled to seek out solutions beneath strain
Credit score the Ravens’ ascending protection for smelling blood within the water and attacking Sanders. To his fault, he was additionally horrible vs. strain. He was 0-for-6 vs. the blitz, the worst 0-fer by any quarterback in a half vs. the blitz this season.
He missed a wide-open David Njoku dragging throughout the center on the aforementioned third-and-long play. He panicked when his first learn wasn’t accessible with two blitzers bearing down on him.
That was a theme all through the second half. There have been loads of performs that took too lengthy to develop or the place his teammates could not get separation, however he additionally did not make it simple on himself. He missed simple checkdowns. His common cross traveled 9.3 yards downfield when blitzed and 5.4 yards when he wasn’t.
This was a superb ball that would have pressured time beyond regulation (credit score to Ravens cornerback Chidobe Awuzie for the cross breakup), however I’m wondering why he did not simply hit Jerry Jeudy, who was vast open on the first-down marker operating an out route.
Nothing got here simple. Coach Kevin Stefanski received him rolling out on this play, however he did not see Hamilton sitting in protection on what ought to have been an interception.
Sanders confirmed some playmaking capacity along with his ft, escaping a sack on the ultimate drive earlier than overthrowing Isaiah Bond ultimately zone. He additionally had a couple of productive scrambles, however his athleticism wasn’t a difference-maker, as anticipated.
Debut circumstances had been brutal
This was a BAD efficiency, nevertheless it got here with main caveats. He was making his NFL debut within the second half, with arguably the worst supporting forged in soccer, no first-team reps all 12 months, and doing it on a chilly, windy day in opposition to a red-hot protection.
As talked about, the Ravens have one of the best protection within the league throughout their four-game win streak. The climate circumstances had been additionally lower than ultimate. The 20 mph winds at kickoff tied the windiest sport this season. This was additionally Sanders’ first time throwing to a few of these wideouts, like Jeudy, as he alluded to above. His interception concentrating on Jeudy seemed to be a miscommunication.
Stefanski confirmed after the sport this was Sanders’ first snaps with the beginning offense since he was drafted.
At first look, it appears actually odd that Sanders had by no means taken first-team reps at apply — particularly contemplating he and Gabriel are the one quarterbacks presently on the lively roster. Additionally, the Browns all the time begin three or 4 quarterbacks yearly; would not they need Sanders to get a small share of first-team reps at the very least?
This is not essentially as unusual because it appears, although, at the very least in line with Kurt Warner.
No matter facet you are on, I might nonetheless argue Stefanski might have completed extra to assist Sanders in his NFL debut vs. the Ravens protection.
He put an excessive amount of on Sanders’ shoulders. The Browns dropped again to cross 75% of the time with Sanders on the sphere, together with 65% of the time after they had been both tied or main. Coming into the sport, they dropped again 56% of the time in these conditions within the second half. Sure, the cross and run each failed spectacularly with Sanders on the sphere, however he wasn’t eased into motion by any means.
The Browns used movement on a season-low 25% of their second-half performs. Perhaps they had been attempting to maintain it easy for Sanders, however extra pre-snap data might have helped in opposition to the Ravens protection.
Lastly, that is the Browns we’re speaking about. They rank useless final within the NFL in common goal separation this season, per NFL Professional Insights.
Looking forward to Week 12
I do not present all that context to present Sanders a free cross, however I might wish to see extra earlier than I write him off. He’ll have a lot better circumstances in Week 12, as he is anticipated to make his first profession begin in opposition to the Raiders.
First-team reps ought to assist him develop extra chemistry with high weapons like Jeudy, Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. I might additionally count on the Browns to take strain off Sanders by committing to the run, even in opposition to a Raiders workforce that ranks as a top-10 unit defending the bottom sport this season.
Nonetheless, I count on extra rising pains after what the tape confirmed in his debut. Whether or not you like him or hate him, there might be numerous eyeballs on Sanders come Sunday.
