“I think you saw it was just rough overall,” Sanders said. “It was a tough day overall. But what I was excited about is just being able to get out there. It’s the first time I’ve been hit since the last game in Colorado. So just having that feeling back is good and I feel fulfilled when it comes to being out there, practicing, getting between the lines, seeing what it’s really like.
“I know I’m made for it. I don’t think there was a doubt in my mind that that final drive, [we were] going to go down there and score. Things happened and we didn’t, but I was just excited because I knew what I was going to be able to do out there.”
The rookie struggled with his processing and too often backed up out of the pocket or fell behind his throws, leading to off-target throws. He was sacked twice while averaging 2.9 yards per attempt.
Throwing yourself into the fire is no easy task for any quarterback, especially one who has had so little running with the starting lineup in practice. The hope is that with added spice, Sanders can smooth out the rough spots.
“We trust all of our guys,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “We trust our guys to perform. [Sanders is] nothing different. And playing backup quarterback, as we’ve talked about over the years, it’s tough to come in there. But we trust him. I know there are things he’ll want to do better, but that’s why we win.”
After an interception and two first downs on his first five drives, Sanders showed life in the final possession, hitting Harold Fannin Jr. rookie for 26 yards and Jeudy for 10 to get into field goal range, but a 5-yard fumble and three consecutive incompletions cut the comeback bid short.
Stefanski said that if Gabriel clears the concussion rule, the third baseman would resume his starting role. If not, Sanders will start in Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Bailey Zappe, signed to the practice squad, is the other QB option with Deshaun Watson remaining on injured reserve.