CLEVELAND, Ohio — Chedure Sanders and Jerry Jeudy were captured by CBS cameras Sunday getting into a heated altercation over a miscommunication on a Microsoft Surface tablet computer at the Browns’ 26-8 loss to the 49ers.
Judy clapped several times while explaining what she thought should have happened in the play, and when Sanders gave his version while pointing to the tablet, Judy appeared to say, “That’s wrong. That’s wrong.”
Center Ethan Pocic stepped in to defuse the situation, pulled Judy away from Sanders, and Sanders shook his head.
After the game, Sanders explained it would take some time to get on the same page with the Browns’ No. 1 receiver, who is having a down year with the quarterback in turmoil.
Under Sanders’ leadership, Jeudy has caught 5 of 11 targets for 75 yards, including a long 39-yard catch in Vegas last week before Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn punched the ball away for a fumble.
On Sunday, he caught three of four targets for 26 yards, with Sanders taking the blame for overthrowing a third-down deep ball to a wide open Jeudy on the opening drive.
Sanders completed 16 of 25 for 149 yards with three sacks. He had one touchdown pass, no interceptions and a 93.6 passer rating.
“When we got into certain passing situations and everything like field position, it wasn’t the best,” Sanders said. “It wasn’t the best. It was a comfortable level.
“I think as players and teammates, we have to be able to gel with each other and be comfortable with each other in every situation. It takes time. It takes a lot of things. So this team is not going to be a microwave thing. We’re going to have sparks. We’re going to have sparks here and there, but to be on the same page with Jerry, it’s going to take time to be able to develop that chemistry with everybody.”
Sanders is trying to accelerate his development with the Browns’ top two receivers, Jeudy and Cedric Tillman (0 of 1 targets), but he took his first snaps with the starters just two weeks ago, heading into his first start against the Raiders.
Sanders never received first-team reps in training camp, and did not receive any reps in Week 5 after Dillon Gabriel was promoted to QB1 and became Sanders’ backup.
It wasn’t until he was named the starter vs. the Raiders that he received his first snaps with a team that included tight end David Njoku (2 of 2, 4 yards). Instead, his comfort level gauge is with Larvaden, Malachi Corley and other “Hungry Dog” backups.
Sanders stressed that “You want to be able to get (Judy) the ball, but you have to understand that it’s going to take time. I’m a trusting person and that’s what it comes down to. So we’ve got to spend time on the job with all of those guys, and be able to trust and be able to see things from the same perspective.”
“There’s a lot of time being spent, I would say passing-wise, that we’re not looking at everything from the same lens or some guys aren’t in the same spot where we looked and we practiced. (By) spot, I’m saying, who’s lined up where. If you’re on this side, you’re on this side. We’ve just got to be comfortable and just make everything consistent.”
As far as the overthrow on the opening drive was concerned, Sanders took full blame.
“I would say overall it’s about biding time,” Sanders said. “It’s about being able to take the time and assess in those situations. So all quarterbacks know you’ve got to catch the wind whenever you make a throw.
“At the same time, you’re assessing speed and timing and distance and travel and everything. I was just calculated. It was everything. It was just a missed shot. So when I missed that shot, I had to rely on myself to keep shooting.”
Jeudy was a 1,000-yard receiver last season and earned his first Pro Bowl. This year, he has caught only 35 out of 80 targets this season with a career-low catch rate of 43.75%. He has 421 yards and one TD.
With more time on the job with Sanders, Judy still has a chance to finish the season strong, and the two can learn to trust each other.
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