Browns' Todd Monken 'Proud' of Shedeur Sanders but Won't Say Who Starts Next
Sanders threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns in an overtime loss at New Orleans, and Deshaun Watson has cleared the concussion protocol
Todd Monken praised Shedeur Sanders after his first start of the season but wouldn't touch the question of whether Sanders keeps the job, ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi reported after the Browns' 23-22 overtime loss to the Saints.
Sanders got the start because Deshaun Watson missed two days of practice in the concussion protocol. Watson cleared the protocol Saturday, but Sanders had already taken all the first-team reps. That's why the question matters now: Watson will be available for Week 10.
Sanders made a case. After a slow start, he completed 19 of 31 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, though he was sacked five times. He hit Denzel Boston for two 60-yard completions and found KC Concepcion for a 64-yard touchdown that put Cleveland up 13-9 late in the fourth quarter. After the Saints answered, he led a field-goal drive to force overtime, then threw a 39-yard touchdown to Harold Fannin Jr. Monken went for two and the win, and Sanders' pass fell incomplete.
"I'm really proud of him," Monken said, adding that Sanders "wasn't perfect" after weeks without first-team reps.
Watson led the Browns to a 5-3 start, helped by an NFL-high five game-winning drives, but entered the week ranked 28th of 30 qualifying quarterbacks in QBR. Cleveland, now 5-4, hosts Houston next Sunday, Nov. 15, at 10 AM PT.