Cleveland Browns’ HC Kevin Stefanski Reveals Interesting Reason He Didn’t Give Shedeur Sanders a Game Ball After His First NFL Win [VIDEO]
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The Cleveland Browns left Las Vegas with a Week 12 win and a strong first start from rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders. He ran the offense well, stayed calm, and became the first Browns quarterback since 1995 to win his debut.
Even then, Sanders didn’t get a game ball, and that surprised everyone. Moreover, Deion Sanders also showed his frustration regarding it.
Most people thought head coach Kevin Stefanski would give out two game balls after the win. Sanders had a solid game, but Stefanski gave the honor to Myles Garrett instead. Garrett earned it with three sacks and two forced fumbles in a great performance.
Stefanski Explains His Choice
Stefanski cleared the confusion on Wednesday. He said, “I mean, every game you go into it trying to just highlight guys,” and felt Garrett earned it.
“You know, Myles got a game ball. I thought it was probably pretty worthy, but you’re just constantly trying to recognize your guys. We spent time this morning as well pointing out all of our guys and the jobs they did,” Stefanski said.
He then added, “Point out Gage (Larvadain) having a big punt return, which was huge for our team. Your D-line doesn’t get 10 sacks unless the coverage is really good. Obviously, a rookie starting his first game on the road, getting a win is huge. So, you acknowledge all that with your team.”
#Browns HC Kevin Stefanski on why Shedeur Sanders didn’t receive a game ball after his first NFL start against the Las Vegas Raiders: pic.twitter.com/WEvRO9Lsh7
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Stefanski praised Sanders as well, saying, “I think he’s done a nice, he’s always done a nice job of that.”
Although Sanders was not affected by all this stuff, and has a good relationship with the coach. He said, “I was really thankful for being out there, of course,” and also added, “There are a lot of things that you could go back in a game and look back and want to redo.” His stats for the day were great, he threw 209 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the win.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski also praised Sanders for staying calm during his first start. He said the rookie keeps his emotions under control and focuses on what matters. “He’s the same guy every single day,” Stefanski said, adding that Sanders knows how to handle the pressure of game day.
Sanders will start again on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. Dillon Gabriel has cleared concussion protocol, but Stefanski still wants Sanders to play.
