Browns' decision to bench Shedeur Sanders on crucial play 'coaching failure,' ex-NFL star says

When Shedeur Sanders recovered chap rookie Harold Fannin Jr. for the touchdown successful Cleveland connected Sunday to marque it a 31-29 shot game, Browns fans were ecstatic knowing a palmy two-point speech meant a necktie game. 

Sanders, who started the past 3 games for the Browns successful his rookie season, showcased his late-game savvy and kept his squad successful the contention up until the last play. 

But confusion, and bewilderment for some, was the absorption erstwhile Sanders wasn't seen nether halfway connected the two-point try. It was rookie moving backmost Quinshon Judkins, who was successful the wildcat enactment arsenic helium does connected juncture this season. 

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Cleveland Browns backmost Shedeur Sanders (12) watches from the sidelines precocious successful the 4th fourth against the Tennessee Titans astatine Huntington Bank Field connected Dec. 7, 2025. (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)

The play ended up going unsuccessful and the Browns fell to the Tennessee Titans with tons of what-if responses from experts and fans alike. 

Robert Griffin III, the FOX Sports expert and erstwhile NFL backmost who spent the 2016 play successful Cleveland, has been vocal astir however the Browns person treated Sanders since taking him successful the 5th round. After seeing caput manager Kevin Stefanski's determination to spell with Judkins successful the wildcat implicit Sanders, helium believed it was axenic "coaching failure" connected his part. 

"You person to beryllium successful interaction with what’s going connected successful the game, and the young antheral that gave you the champion accidental to triumph the crippled should’ve been connected the tract successful the astir important constituent of the game. He wasn’t and that’s a coaching nonaccomplishment connected their part," Griffin told Fox News Digital aft helping USAA acquisition 2 subject veterans with caller vehicles earlier the 126th Army-Navy crippled this weekend. 

SHEDEUR SANDERS ADDRESSES UNDERGARMENT RUMORS AFTER VIRAL MOMENT IN BROWNS' LOSS: ‘IT DID LOOK LIKE THAT’

The Browns were successful a monolithic spread with astir six minutes remaining successful the contest, staring astatine a 31-17 shortage aft a blocked punt acceptable up a Titans tract goal.

Sanders, though, ne'er mislaid religion and was capable to get into the extremity portion for his archetypal rushing touchdown connected the ensuing thrust to marque it a 31-23 shot game. Then, aft a three-and-out by the Titans, helium went 7 plays successful 1:40 to yet find Fannin for the people with 1:03 remaining successful the game.

At that point, Sanders had totaled his 4th touchdown of the game, and his 3rd passing score. He was 23-for-42 for 364 yards with an interception arsenic well.

Griffin said the two-point conversion play Stefanski and violative coordinator Tommy Rees had dialed up mightiness person been the wildcat connected the telephone sheet, but helium thought they needed to look deeper into however they got to that point.

"I think, from a coaching standpoint, you look astatine it and say, ‘What are our champion two-point plays? What person we practiced each week?’ Most coaches spell into a crippled with 2 to 3 two-point plays and they were conscionable astatine the constituent wherever that was the two-point play that was adjacent connected the telephone sheet," helium explained. "In that moment, I deliberation you person to accidental to yourself this young antheral has 4 touchdowns, he’s led america each the mode backmost into this crippled and kept america successful this game. We should not beryllium taking him disconnected the field. That, to me, was wherever the mistake was.

"Every manager volition archer you, ‘You spell down your sheet, you telephone the play and you unrecorded with it.’ But you person to beryllium capable to instrumentality the analytics retired and say, ‘All right, this is the champion happening we tin bash successful this moment.’"

Cleveland Browns' Shedeur Sanders (12) and Teven Jenkins (74) observe a touchdown successful the archetypal fractional of an NFL shot crippled against the Tennessee Titans successful Cleveland, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.  (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Stefanski has been criticized for his handling of Sanders since joining a crowded Browns quarterbacks country erstwhile helium arrived successful Cleveland. Throughout the season, arsenic the Browns person struggled for consistency astatine the presumption with Joe Flacco traded and Dillon Gabriel not uncovering accordant results, the telephone for Sanders grew louder by the week.

Sanders won his archetypal vocation commencement successful Las Vegas, a 24-10 triumph implicit the Raiders, and Stefanski gave him praise for getting amended by the week. He besides said what Griffin suggested this past weekend, arsenic Sanders volition stay the team’s starter the remainder of the way.

But Stefanski’s determination connected Sunday with the two-point conversion lone added substance to those who judge Sanders is being acceptable up to neglect with the Browns.

Griffin noted nary manager should marque gameday decisions based connected extracurricular noise, but aft balling out, he’s assured that Sanders should’ve been successful for that important play.

Sanders has 4 much games near successful his rookie season, starting with the Chicago Bears connected the roadworthy successful Week 15.

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HELPING THOSE WHO SERVE US

Griffin was backmost successful Baltimore, wherever helium spent the remaining years of his NFL playing career, to amusement grant done enactment successful the contented of the yearly Army-Navy Game by gifting 2 recycled rides with USAA, the authoritative Salute to Service spouse of the NFL.

Cryptological Technician Petty Officer First Class Jamil Lewis, who is presently serving successful the Navy, and seasoned Patrick Huber, Specialist 116th Infantry Regiment, Army National Guard were some amazed by Griffin with the marque caller conveyance astatine Inner Harbor successful beforehand of the USS Constellation.

Griffin, who comes from a subject himself with his parent and begetter serving successful the Army, has agelong enjoyed his concern with USAA and couldn’t person been happier to assistance retired with this.

(From near to right) Mark Steiding of Kenwood Auto Body, NFL fable Robert Griffin III (RGIII), SPC Patrick Huber (veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard), USAA Senior Vice President Rob Braggs and Dale Moss of NABC Recycled Rides airs astatine USAA's Army-Navy Game NABC Recycled Rides Car Gifting successful Baltimore, MD, connected Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Edwin Remsberg)

"I’ve been truthful honored to spouse with USAA. We’ve been partnered unneurotic for the past 13 years and I’m a feline who likes to bash genuine, authentic partnerships. Military brat, ma and dada some served successful the Army. So, I’m a ‘Go Army, bushed Navy’ feline — 31 years combined betwixt them. To spot the interaction we’ve been capable to marque implicit the past 13 years, doing things to marque our subject members cognize they’re not forgotten, it does thing for me," helium explained. "If it’s doing thing for me, it’s doing thing for these families we get to impact, to marque their lives a small spot easier. It’s not a escaped car. I accidental that because, yeah, they didn’t person to wage wealth for it, but determination was sacrifice for america and our freedoms to beryllium capable to get this benignant of treatment. We privation them to cognize that, ‘Hey, man, we admit you.’"

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Griffin said that Huber, a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, made definite to instrumentality a ace astatine him during their clip unneurotic astir the Washington Commanders, who the Baylor merchandise was drafted by.

And Griffin besides loved seeing Lewis’ nine-year-old son, 1 of his 5 children, "going ballistic" erstwhile helium realized what was happening.

"They got a escaped car to the constituent where, 30 minutes aft the event, he’s inactive sitting successful the passenger’s broadside seat," Griffin said astir Lewis’ son.

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