Rookie Sanders gets first shot as Browns begin another rebuilding chapter
Here we go again, folks. Friday night, I’ll be sitting with thousands of other Browns fans watching rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders start our team’s preseason opener against the Panthers. And yeah, I’m already getting that familiar feeling – you know the one. That little spark of hope that maybe this year’s different. I know it is only preseason and it won’t actually count, but it will be interesting to watch. I know some fans won’t watch, but they will definitely read about how it went Saturday morning.
Sanders wasn’t even supposed to be starting. He was picked in the fifth round after falling way further than anyone expected, and he’s been getting the fewest reps with the starters all camp. But injuries to Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel opened the door. For us Browns fans, that’s how these things always seem to happen – opportunity comes knocking in the strangest ways.
Look, I’ve been through this cycle more times than I care to count. We get all hyped up during preseason, then reality smacks us in the face come September. Since the team came back in 1999, we’ve had exactly four winning seasons. Four! We went 1-31 under Hue Jackson, including that miserable 0-16 season in 2017. Most fan bases would’ve given up by now.
But here we are, talking about another quarterback competition. Joe Flacco leads the preseason depth chart right now, followed by Pickett, Gabriel, and Sanders bringing up the rear. But nothing’s decided for the regular season – it’s a true competition. I’m personally excited about the possibility of watching Flacco go head-to-head with Aaron Rodgers this season. Two veterans, at different stages of their careers, could make for some great football.
And speaking of Pittsburgh, they play us twice this year – Week 6 in Pittsburgh and Week 17 at home. Since they do not have Big Ben now (he used to absolutely destroy us 26-2-1), we actually are able to compete with them now. We’ve actually gone 3-3 against Pittsburgh since he retired.
But let’s talk about this year’s schedule – it’s brutal. We have the second-hardest schedule in the entire league. Five of our first six opponents made the playoffs last year. Our first four games? Cincinnati, Baltimore, Green Bay, and Detroit – teams that went 47-21 combined. Meanwhile, Kansas City has one of the easier schedules. How’s that for fair?
Still, there’s reason for optimism. Sanders has looked polished despite being a fifth-round pick. The kid has arm talent – threw for over 7,000 yards his last two years at Colorado. And he’s already leading NFL rookies in merchandise sales, so fans are buying in.
What I like about Sanders is his honesty. He told reporters he doesn’t even want his dad, Deion, at practice yet because he doesn’t feel ready. That’s refreshing – a rookie who knows he’s got work to do.
Plus, we’ve got a local story to follow. Luke Floriea from Mentor High is battling to make the roster after impressing at the rookie minicamp. This kid grew up a Browns fan and went to Kent State. Coach Stefanski’s already given him the nickname “Rambo” because of the bandana he wears. How can you not root for a story like that?
The Browns kick off the regular season on September 7 against Cincinnati. Another year, another chance to break our hearts. But tonight? Tonight is all about hope. Sanders gets his shot, Floriea gets to live his dream, and we fans get to believe again – at least for a few hours.
That’s what being a Browns fan is all about. Hope springs eternal because it has to.
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