The Cleveland Browns lost on Sunday and they're now 3-9 on the year. While the loss wasn't on Shedeur Sanders (that would be special teams taking the lead there), he certainly could have played better. Others will point to some of the questionable decisions that head coach Kevin Stefanski made, including controversial calls on fourth-and-one.
Sanders was asked about Stefanski's decision-making following the game and to say that he didn't appreciate the question would be an understatement.
Reporter: "Those two fourth-and-ones that didn't work, did you like Kevin [Stefanski] having the aggressiveness there even backed up in your territory?"
Sanders: "I mean first, that's a rude question to ask if I'm - if I think, you know, it was a great call by my coach, you know."
Reporter: "Do you like the aggression that you like to call - "
Sanders: "I like being out there playing, so... so whatever that comes with, it comes with, you know. Like you know we not going to be here and ever point fingers at no coach or do anything like that, you know that's extremely disrespectful."
Shedeur Sanders wasn’t having a reporter’s dig at Kevin Stefanski
The fourth-and-ones that the report was alluding to were in the first quarter when the team went for it on the 49ers' 20-yard line and got stuffed. The more controversial one was when the Browns went for it on their own 33-yard line with a direct snap to Harold Fannin, who fumbled and lost the football, setting the 49ers up with great field position. The Niners scored a touchdown nine plays later.
Clearly, Sanders wasn't about the criticism for Stefanski, even if some of it was well-deserved. The Browns had no business going for it on fourth-and-one in that situation and then not only that but to call a play like THAT? Yeah, the criticism is deserved.
That being said, Sanders handled this question well by standing up for his head coach. Maybe he didn't need to tell the reporter that it was a rude question (especially since it was justified) but we've seen quarterbacks and players not hesitate to throw their head coaches under the bus in these spots and Sanders didn't take the bait. For all of the criticism he's received, this was a moment where Sanders showed some maturity for sure.
At the end of the day, Stefanski made some questionable decisions and it was fair game to ask Sanders about them. At the same time, it was good to see Sanders stick up for his head coach and not throw him under the bus or drum up more controversy.