Browns made bizarre Shedeur Sanders 4th-down decision vs. Ravens

Billy Heyen

Browns made bizarre Shedeur Sanders 4th-down decision vs. Ravens image

Shedeur Sanders made a smart play on third-and-12 over midfield.

Under pressure, he took off and ran for six yards.

The Cleveland Browns, leading by three, faced a fourth-and-6 at the plus 40 yard line. It was the fourth quarter, a chance to expand.

But clearly, the Browns didn't trust Sanders much. They opted to punt.

MORE: Josh Allen's 6-TD day leads Bills to epic bounceback win

There were still more than 10 minutes to play, so maybe it was a fine decision. Cleveland's defense obviously is really strong.

The punt may also have ended up at the 1-yard line, although they ended up reviewing for a touchback, and the touchback stood. So it was just a 20-yard difference from the fourth-down line of scrimmage and the new ball placement.

MORE: Why Taylor Swift isn't showing up much on TV this season

Sanders may not have converted the fourth down, but it would've been a cool vote of confidence in his NFL debut as he came on in relief of the injured Dillon Gabriel.

Instead, Cleveland decided to rely on its defense. Probably smart, but not that fun.

More NFL news:

Editorial Team