Super Bowl Champion Grades Shedeur Sanders’ 49ers Outing a ‘B’

Shedeur Sanders couldn’t win his second career start with the Browns against the 49ers on Sunday, falling 26-8. But truth be told, the scoreboard doesn’t tell the full story. In brutal Cleveland conditions, 30 degrees, wind gusts over 40 mph, and a spirited San Francisco team sitting at 9-4, the rookie had many things going against him.

Sanders finished the night 16-of-25 for 149 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, and a 93.6 passer rating. He also took three sacks in a game where the Browns were chasing the score for most of the second half.

And while Sanders’ arm strength at times failed to impress, raising questions if he has it in him to be a Cleveland quarterback, the bigger takeaway remained simple: he did the job well. But in a team sport, everyone needs to do well… and that wasn’t the case for the Browns.

Special teams and situational failures repeatedly put the QB in a hole. A muffed punt by rookie Gage Larvadain and a fumbled direct snap by fellow rookie Harold Fannin Jr. gifted the 49ers short fields at the Cleveland 32 and 18.

Add in two failed fourth-and-1 attempts, including the botched Fannin sneak while Sanders was a decoy, and suddenly Brock Purdy was looking smooth like his 2023 self. All the while, Sanders was forced into must-pass mode against a defense that knew exactly what was coming.

That’s the context Super Bowl champion James Jones had in mind when he went on Speakeasy to grade Sanders. “I’m gonna give him a B,” the former Packer said, before explaining why the tape encouraged him more than the box score.

“The game don’t look too big for him… it already looks like it’s slowed down for Shadour. He’s picking up all the protections. It’s not like people are just running free after he got the starting job. He just looks like he’s cool, calm, and collected in the pocket,” he said.

From Jones’ perspective, Sanders’ poise impressed him even more because the Browns haven’t given him the full playbook yet. He pointed out that Cleveland “had the playbook more open for Dillon Gabriel,” while Sanders is operating with a limited menu.

That, in his view, explains why the rookie sometimes stretches plays longer than expected: “he ain’t trying to throw it away… he trying to make something happen.”

Still, Jones didn’t overlook the rough edges. He noted a couple of throws Sanders “would want back,” especially the missed chance to hit Jerry Jeudy down the middle, where a little more touch would’ve changed the drive.

That said, with Browns HC Kevin Stefanski confirming that Shedeur Sanders will remain the starter next week against the Titans, the task ahead is straightforward. The rookie has another chance to combine what he’s shown only in parts across his first two starts: leading Cleveland to a win with the one thing he hasn’t yet produced consistently, a decisive, wire-to-wire performance.