Teetering between equal parts confidence and equal parts reality, Shedeur Sanders has been witness to the epitome of a sobering realization. Time and again, no matter how optimistic and self-assured Sanders might seem on paper, numbers don’t lie… evident once again, after the Cleveland Browns concluded their second preseason clash.

Sanders’ preseason debut vs the Carolina Panthers (a 30-10 win) seemed to present some excellent figures: two TDs, going 14-of-23 with 138 passing yards, and no interceptions. However, the following week, with the fourth-string quarterback out with an oblique injury, Dillon Gabriel logged a 22-13 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. And by the end of it, the stat nerds were wide awake to account for some brutal math.

The conversation is simple. Gabriel was able to complete 3 of 4 tough, tight-window throws vs the Eagles, while Sanders struggled with 0 of 4 such throws against the Panthers. For context, tight-window throws are attempts to targets with less than a yard of separation from the nearest defender when the pass arrives. Meaning? It’s a measure that directly makes a case for the quarterback’s arm strength, accuracy, and rapid decision-making. Secondly, Gabriel’s plays also featured pre-snap motion 45% of the time vs 31% for Sanders. On third downs, it was 63% to 18%, a clear discrepancy that has now only fueled critics like Anthony Lima to assert “[Shedeur’s] gotta be failing every test!”

On the 92.3 The Fan’s Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima, he added, “I don’t know any other way this could be possible [that Shedeur] is 4th on the depth chart, other than they don’t think he can do any of the stuff related to running the offense,” when Carman interjected him and asked, “Is it he’s failing every test or is he just not ready? You know, failure is a strong word to use, bud. Failure is a strong, strong word.” To this, Lima argued, “If he’s passing the test, then he’d be ready, right?” 

When asked about the test, Lima then elaborated, “Do you know the playbook? Check…Do you understand and recognize what you’re seeing defensively?…All those different things, you’d think…he’s born in a football family. I’d be surprised this stuff wouldn’t come easy to him. But what other reason would it be? Like, what is holding him back, I guess, is what I don’t understand. And why is Dillon Gabriel still ahead of him?”

Carman: “Probably has to be..Well, one: Injures involved, I’m sure. Number two, it would have to be the processing, but then again…”

Lima: “Wasn’t Dylan injured, too?”

Carman then concluded, “Yes, Dylan was injured, but Dylan, obviously, started off higher than him. So, there’s always gonna be preconceived notions. You use a word, confirmation bias. If you already have him ahead of Shedeur Sanders, what can Shedeur really do to get ahead of him? I mean, we all wanna see Shedeur. There’s just a giant difference between the fans, the media, and the Browns. And I think that this is going to be a weird thing where I can see a mess coming. What do they do to avoid the mess?”

Well, looks like the conversation is clearly heating up. Can Sanders’ answer back anytime soon? With his outlook full of patience, resilience, and self-belief, he just might.

How Shedeur Sanders is handling life as a backup

Sanders openly admitted to being no stranger to backup roles. He lived a similar experience during the Covid-shortened 2022 college season. “My ability are my abilities,” Sanders said confidently. “When God decides to take it away from me, that’s the decision. But I think vs. anybody, I always pick me. So, at this point it’s about in due time, whenever it’s my time.” It’s clear he’s not thrown off by his fewer reps or the fourth-team spot.

Recovery from an oblique injury hampered his preseason reps, further stalling his climb. Still, Sanders embraced this role with a gritty mentality: “I got many things I need to fix, many things I need to work on, and I’m not oblivious to that. So, all I look at as I’m getting more time to cook, I’m getting more time to warm up. That’s all it is.”

He isn’t bitter, just aware. His time under the bright lights will come. And whenever that clock hits, he promises to be ready. The irony is that the Cleveland media voices failures and questions. Sanders, on the other hand, quietly prepares, reminds himself that football is a long game, and holds onto the belief that he will eventually show the league who Shedeur “Legendary” really is.