Former NFL star T.J. Houshmandzadeh was critical of the Cleveland Browns’ decision to send rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders to the bench in the closing moments of their last preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. Houshmandzadeh made it very clear, during a segment of “The Nightcap Show,” that he was not pleased with head coach Kevin Stefanski regarding his management of quarterbacks.
“You didn’t give this man a fighting chance to compete. He went into a gunfight with two knives. He’s going to lose that every time.” T.J declared, viewing it as an unfair situation for the rookie quarterback.
The succession of events occurred with just over two minutes to go in the week 3 game vs the Rams. Sanders was riding an exercise bike, thinking that he would be part of that critical late drive, when Stefanski informed the rookie that Tyler Huntley would be leading the drive.
Houshmandzadeh suggested that the coaching staff should have gone about the evaluation process differently.
“From my assessment, they don’t want a controversy,” he noted.
“We know what Flacco can do…he led you to the playoffs the last time y’all let him play. So If you’re trying to figure out who will play in case Flacco gets hurt, Dillon GabrielGabriel or Shedeur Sanders, you let them split the game.. You let them battle it out.”
T.J. was critical of the Browns staff on the benching in the game against the Rams, but also in the context of Sanders’ evaluation during the entirety of the preseason. He felt that the Browns staff on Sanders did not help him succeed, and did not give him a chance to display his talent.
Stefanski Explains Reasoning Behind Late Substitution
Sanders explained after the game that he hadn’t realized he was out. He said he had been on a bike, powering up for the two-minute drive, since that’s a situation every quarterback dreams of. Having been in similar moments before, he assumed he was in.
Sanders completed a total of 3 out of 6 passes for 14 yards throughout the game, with the offense failing to score and multiple stalled drives
Meanwhile, Stefanski defended his decision to bench Shedeur, stating:
“Obviously we didn’t play great as an offense in the second half, that’s never on one person, so we can be better in a bunch of areas.”
“Just felt like we wanted to give Snoop (Huntley) the last drive”, he further elaborated.
The situation shows the lack of clarity of the Browns’ quarterback depth chart. With Joe Flacco the starter after taking the Browns to the playoffs in his last stint, the competition for backup roles is raging on multiple fronts, with various players, including Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, vying for position with limited roster spots.
It will be interesting to see if Shedeur becomes a member of the final 53-man roster as the Browns look to make their decisions with each passing week.
Read More:
- “Lucky To Have One After Taking Those 5 Sacks”: NFL World Reacts to Shedeur Sanders’ Bold Claim About Making the Browns Roster
- Colin Cowherd Offers Blunt Take on Conspiracy Talk Over Shedeur Sanders Draft Slide: “The Whole League Told You He’s a 5th Round QB”
- ICYMI: Deion Sanders’ Ex-Wife Pilar and Daughter Shelomi Show Love to Shedeur Sanders With Browns Game Appearance
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