Dan Orlovsky feels differently about the Cleveland Browns' quarterback competition after watching their first preseason game. Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders both received meaninful playing time in Saturday's 34-10 loss to the Chicago Bears. While Sanders tallied 79 yards and an interception in 11 passing attempts, Watson went 11 of 15 for 126 yards in his first NFL action since September 2024.
Orlovsky has previously implored the Browns to start Sanders, but the ESPN analyst said on Monday's "Get Up" that Watson played much better in Cleveland's exhibition opener. "After preseason Week 1, it's not close, the competition," Orlovsky said. "And I've been pumping Shedeur to be the guy.
I thought Deshaun played faster. The ball jumped off his hands a lot more." Orlovsky was impressed to see Watson quickly throw the ball in many situations, but he pointed out one play in which the 30-year-old scrambled for a short gain instead of throwing deep to an open target. Still, he felt the three-time Pro Bowler thoroughly outplayed Sanders.
"I do think that there were a moment or two of rust," Orlovsky said. "But if you looked at the snaps as a body of work, Deshaun was clearly better in the game. And even though I've been sitting here pounding the table (to) start Shedeur because it makes more sense to start Shedeur, I did not find after preseason Week 1 that it was all that close." While taking a deeper dive into Sanders' performance, Orlovsky broke down a red-zone possession in which Sanders twice eschewed an early checkdown before failing to make anything of an extended play.
"When it comes to decision making in those critical moments, you still want to see him have more urgency with that," Orlovsky said. "So, there was good, but I would sit there and say that still looks like Shedeur from a rookie year. And if you're trying to become the starting quarterback, those are the decisions you have to make." The Browns will play their next preseason game against the Buffalo Bills this Saturday at 1 p.m.
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