The Chicago Bears were in control against the Cleveland Browns from the outset. After a quiet start on their first drive, they scored two touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead. It helped that the defense completely shut down rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders and the Browns' offense. Cleveland failed to score their only points until the 3rd quarter, and that was benefited by great field position from a 4th down stop by the defense. Nothing seemed to go right for the rookie quarterback, which was disheartening after his strong performance the week before against Tennessee.
It turns out there was a reason for the ugly start to the game. Apparently, the Browns' coaching staff gave Sanders a wristband with the wrong play calls on it. The rookie played the entire first quarter that way before anybody realized the problem. Cleveland committed three penalties in their two drives, and Sanders completed one pass for five yards. By the time the mistake was addressed, they were already in a two-touchdown hole. The odds of them overcoming that on the road in frigid conditions with a rookie QB were beyond remote.
Shedeur Sanders is at the mercy of a rough situation.
Things have gotten bad in Cleveland. It wasn't too long ago that head coach Kevin Stefanski was Coach of the Year after leading the Browns to the playoffs in 2023. Since then, things have devolved in every way possible. There is no unity of vision inside the building. Many believe Stefanski wants out, but ownership won't allow it. Given how the team has performed this season, it isn't hard to tell that the coaching staff may not be fully committed to addressing the issues. This wristband fiasco is merely the latest example.
While that is unfortunate news for Shedeur Sanders, it should reinforce how lucky the Bears are to have Ben Johnson. The new head coach is notoriously meticulous about everything. No detail goes unnoticed. Everything is accounted for before games. That is why the execution is typically pretty good every week. Caleb Williams is playing some of his best football. Mistakes have become less frequent. Things are starting to click. Bears fans should be grateful they're no longer in the same boat as Cleveland.
