"We can't change that dramatically." Todd Monken's answer Wednesday set the direction for the Browns' Sanders game plan: prepare for a possible Shedeur Sanders start against the Saints with limited changes to the offense.
With Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol, Cleveland had a possible change at quarterback to prepare for. Mary Kay Cabot reported that Monken had not ruled Watson out.
Browns' Sanders game plan stays familiar
Monken said Wednesday that Sanders would receive first-team reps. Cleveland had planned for the possibility of Sanders starting, without committing to him as the starter.
Keeping the offense familiar beats a hurried rewrite around a possible quarterback change. Monken's limited-change plan lets Sanders prepare to run Cleveland's offense without making the entire week about a new playbook.
Sanders said his preparation approach had stayed consistent: "The same way I've been preparing every week. No different." He credited offseason work with preserving his connection to the receivers and said his responsibility was to trust his teammates and the game plan.
Two struggling rushing attacks meet
The matchup in New Orleans pairs two offenses averaging fewer than 100 rushing yards. Cleveland visits on November 8, averaging 97.6 yards on the ground; the Saints average 86.
New Orleans allows 139.4 rushing yards a game and ranks 29th in rushing defense. Cleveland allows 126.9.
Cleveland also had two fumbles after taking the ball first. Keeping familiar calls does not erase Cleveland's ball-security problem.
Wednesday's plan called for first-team work to prepare Sanders for a possible start. The opportunity was real; the starting assignment was still conditional.
Image: AI-generated image.
Leave a Reply