Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders struggled mightily in his first taste of action in an NFL regular season game on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. However, one prominent ESPN NFL analyst was perhaps more critical of how Sanders handled himself after the game than how he actually performed in the matchup.
Sanders experienced the growing pains that often come along with being a fifth-round draft pick in the NFL at the quarterback position. Baltimore’s defense gave him fits after replacing an injured Dillon Gabriel, completing just 25 percent of his passes in his lone half of action en route to a 23-16 loss.
After the game, Sanders was predictably quite upset with how he played. The CBS broadcast captured him with his head in his hands while sitting on the bench near the end of Sunday’s contest, which seemingly continued well into the postgame pleasantries with Ravens players.
Instead of getting off the bench to greet opposing players after the game, Sanders remained frustrated on the bench after the tough loss.
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Reacting to Sanders’ postgame behavior on Monday, ESPN NFL analyst and former NFL head coach Rex Ryan didn’t hold back. The former New York Jets coach ripped Sanders for making the loss “about himself” instead of uplifting his teammates and greeting opposing players.
“Shedeur, he’s gotta get over himself,” said Ryan. “He’s there by himself on the bench. I’ve never seen that. I’ve seen it in the seventh game of a World Series, when you lose a game or whatever. This is a pillow-fight game, nobody cares. Did he care? Or are you trying to make it a show and make it all about yourself? You’ve got a guy over there that is a two-time MVP. Right there, Lamar Jackson. He was looking for you.
“Share a moment with him, share a moment with Lamar. He is looking all over for you. Then get in there with your teammates. Talk about, ‘I am not comfortable losing.’ You think anybody in that locker room is? They better not be. Is it Shedeur, or is it the coach. There is 100 percent a disconnect.”
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It’s easy to understand why Sanders was frustrated with how Sunday’s game went. Browns fans have continuously been clamoring for him to receive an opportunity. When he finally did get his chance, he largely failed to capitalize.
Maybe the former Colorado product will be better in his next opportunity if he receives some preparation. Even for experienced quarterbacks, coming off the bench cold is no easy task. Either way, Rex Ryan would clearly like to see Sanders handle himself differently after losses in the future.
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