The Browns made a change at quarterback on Sunday during the loss to the Ravens, as Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion in the first half that kept him out for the remainder of the game.
Shedeur Sanders was the one to lead the offense out onto the field for Cleveland’s opening drive of the second half, and he was under center the rest of the way. It was a disappointing outing from the fifth-round pick, who completed just four of his 16 pass attempts for 47 yards and an interception.
In the aftermath of the defeat, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski addressed the quarterback position going forward, and indicated that once he’s cleared concussion protocol, Gabriel would resume his duties as the team’s starting quarterback, via Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.
Of course, that means once Gabriel is ready to play again, Sanders will return to the backup role.
The Browns were ahead 16–10 when Sanders took over for the injured Gabriel, but they were held scoreless in the second half. Meanwhile, the Ravens mounted a comeback and earned a 23–16 win.
Gabriel took over the starting role after Cleveland traded Joe Flacco to the Bengals. In eight appearances this season, including six starts, Gabriel has thrown for seven touchdowns and two interceptions, but the team is 1–5 in games he started.
Sunday was Sanders’s first taste of NFL action in the regular season. Not only that, Stefanski told reporters after the loss that the second half of Sunday’s game was the first time Sanders had ever taken snaps with the Browns’ starting offense, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. Stefanski had previously stated that all of the reps in practice had been going to Gabriel as they worked to quickly get him up to speed. As a result, Sanders hasn’t had any time to gel with the rest of the starting offense. That didn’t make his job any easier when called upon on Sunday.
Whether Gabriel will clear concussion protocol in time for the Browns’ next game, which is slated for Nov. 23 against the Raiders, remains to be seen. But as Stefanski indicated, if Gabriel’s cleared to play, he’ll be the starter for Cleveland.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kevin Stefanski Discusses Browns' Quarterback Plans After Shedeur Sanders’s Debut.
