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Cleveland Bronws quarterback Shedeur Sanders will make his third start against the Titans.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders has faced his share of adversity since leaving Colorado, free-falling in the NFL Draft and working his way up from No. 4 on the Cleveland Browns’ depth chart to earn a starting role.
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott believes that Sanders has a bright future ahead, sharing some big praise of the rookie despite his struggles this season. The Bills face the Browns in a game that could clinch their seventh straight playoff berth, but McDermott knows they will need to be careful in defending Sanders.
Sean McDermott Impressed by Shedeur Sanders This Season
Speaking to reporters on Friday, the Bills head coach said he believes that Sanders has shown a lot of promise and performed well since taking over the starting job from injured rookie Dillon Gabriel.
McDermott had a simple assessment of Sanders — “Good player.”
“Good young player, off to a great start. Dangerous with the toolset that he brings to the table,” McDermott said, via SI.com. “He’s done a great job. I think their offense is actually ratcheted it up since he’s been under center. That will be a big challenge for us.”
Sanders has struggled, throwing three interceptions in last week’s loss to the Chicago Bears. The Browns have been inconsistent on offense this season with a rotating set of quarterbacks that started with veteran Joe Flacco under center before he was traded to make way for Gabriel.
Sanders took over for Gabriel and has shown some flashes of strong play but largely struggled. He has completed 52.2% of his passes this season for 946 yards with five touchdowns and six interceptions.
Sanders said he knows the Bills will be bringing their best on Sunday, and he’s ready for it.
“Well, I’m just excited that I’m able to get everybody’s best,” Sanders said. “I’m just getting in the league and my feet settled and everything. So I get excited knowing I’m able to face those challenges because you’ve got to understand this, this year right here, this is worst it’s going to be. You know what I’m saying? This is where I’m building from. This is where I’m understanding different things. This is where everything’s translating for me.”
Bills Can Clinch Playoff Berth
The Bills have a big opportunity to clinch a playoff spot on Sunday, needing a win and either a loss or tie from the Indianapolis Colts or Houston Texans. The Bills also gained life in the division race in last week’s win over the New England Patriots. They will need to win one more game than the Patriots the rest of the way, with the Patriots needing at least one division loss in their games against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen said he knows this week will be a challenge for the offense as they face Myles Garrett, who needs just 1.5 sacks to set the single-season NFL record.
“I think the main part there is us winning. This is a really, really good defense that we’re about to face. And it’s going to be all hands on deck,” Allen said, via The Associated Press.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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