Animated analyst says quiet part out loud on Rams’ humiliation of Shedeur Sanders

When the Los Angeles Rams faced off against the Cleveland Browns in Game 3 of the preseason, the outcome was a foregone conclusion. The Rams had already planned to sit both starters and primary backups, while the Browns chose to give plenty of reps to their first-team units on both offense and defense.

It should have been a blowout, but it wasn’t. The game was competitive enough that the Browns needed a penalty to extend a drive and set up a buzzer-beater field goal. Rams fans had plenty to be proud of, watching their Davids nearly topple the Browns’ Goliaths. Unfortunately, Cleveland’s rookie quarterback struggled mightily, leading to complaints from analysts who claimed he was set up to fail.

If the goal was to showcase depth players to attract other teams, then it was mission accomplished. Four Rams who were later released ended up being claimed off waivers, the most in the NFL. But the real takeaway was how aggressively the Rams’ defense went after Browns rookie QB Shedeur Sanders. He completed just three of six passes for 14 yards, while being sacked five times for a loss of 41 yards. His net passing production: negative-27 yards.

Shedeur Sanders was a rookie quarterback bested by a motivated Rams defense

Critical analysts of the Browns’ strategy love to point to Sanders’ anomalous performance and turn it into a full-blown narrative. But that’s a horrendous use of statistics. One data point doesn’t make a trend, and Rams fans know that all too well.

In his final preseason game of 2023, Stetson Bennett ran into a buzzsaw in the Denver Broncos' defense. He completed four of nine passes for 14 yards, was sacked once for a five-yard loss, and threw two interceptions. He was humbled, reported to have suffered a shoulder injury when the season arrived, and ultimately stepped away from football for a year.

Two years later, Bennett was arguably the best quarterback of the 2025 preseason. Nobody made excuses for him. He had to take responsibility, and when he returned in 2024, he had to re-earn his right to compete. That same challenge now sits in front of the former Colorado Buffalo.

In the urgency to create controversy, some analysts are beginning to cross the line. Players who succeed in the NFL do not point fingers. Rather, those players understand that they must control what they can impact. And anyone who rewatches the game quickly understands that it's better to throw an incompletion than take a sack.

That’s what the preseason is for.

Sanders made the Browns’ roster and tuned out the distractions, saying all the right things after the game. While many rushed to excuse him, he embraced the challenge. Just like Bennett came back stronger after his struggles, Sanders deserves the same chance.

As always, thanks for reading.

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