The Browns fell short in overtime on Sunday, but head coach Todd Monken said he liked what he saw from quarterback Shedeur Sanders in New Orleans.
Sanders was 19-of-31 for 297 yards and two touchdowns, including a 39-yarder to tight end Harold Fannin that made it 23-22 in overtime. Sanders threw an incompletion on the ensuing two-point conversion, which allowed the Saints to escape with a win.
“I’m really proud of him and how hard he’s worked since I’ve been here,” Monken said. “He wasn’t perfect. I wasn’t perfect. But for a guy that really hasn’t taken snaps with the ones in, what, 10 weeks. When we announced it with two weeks left and we’re eight weeks into the season, so you’re basically two-and-a-half months where you’re basically running cards. To come in there and continue to battle, really proud of him.”
Sanders got the start after Deshaun Watson missed most of the week in concussion protocol and Monken was asked if he made a case for a longer run as a starter during the loss.
“How long has it been? Thirty minutes since the game ended? I’m not getting into quarterback,” Monken said. “If we want to talk about Shedeur, we can talk about Shedeur.”
Watson cleared the protocol on Saturday, but was inactive for Sunday’s game. The Browns will host the Texans next Sunday and more clarity about their quarterback plans should come in the next few days.