After a 31–3 loss to the Chicago Bears, the 3-11 Cleveland Browns don’t have much left to play for with just three games remaining. And when Kevin Stefanski and Shedeur Sanders met the media afterward, there were plenty of questions waiting for them. But one stood out more than the rest: what exactly went wrong with Shedeur’s play-calling wristband in the early moments of the game. Both the head coach and the rookie quarterback addressed it head-on.

“There was a miscommunication early. The wristband got something on it or whatever it was…we got that fixed pretty quickly,” Stefanski said, and Shedeur echoed the sentiment, stating:

“The card just fell out. It just fell out on the sideline. That was it.”

All of that explains why the Browns’ offense never found any rhythm early. By halftime, Shedeur was just 4-of-10 for 54 yards, and the reason went beyond execution. The bigger issue was the playsheet itself. Sanders didn’t have an adequate play-calling wristband, which made communication in the huddle messy right from the opening drive.

That confusion showed up immediately. Shedeur had trouble relaying plays in the first quarter, sprinted to the sideline to get the call directly from Stefanski, and was hit with a delay-of-game penalty as a result. Moments later, he swapped wristbands altogether, leaving even the FOX broadcast booth trying to piece together what was happening. It was just another example of a Browns operation that’s felt disjointed all season.

To be fair, the defense actually gave them a chance early. Even after allowing a 52-yard kick return to open the game, Cleveland’s defense regrouped and forced a punt. So far, so good. But then things unraveled quickly. Chicago pinned the Browns at the one-yard line, Stefanski challenged the spot, lost it, and burned a timeout before the offense could even settle in. From there, the mistakes piled up.

On that same opening drive, the offense imploded. A false start by rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr., and a too-many-men penalty. And a quick punt flipped the field position right back to the Bears. No one is saying the Browns are actively setting Shedeur Sanders up to fail, but they’re also doing very little to make life easier for a rookie quarterback.

Before kickoff, ESPN’s Seth Walder predicted a rough day for Sanders, even projecting three interceptions. Unfortunately for Cleveland, that forecast played out. Starting behind the Browns’ ninth different offensive line combination of the season, Shedeur finished 18-of-35 for 177 yards, with no touchdowns and three interceptions, while taking five sacks. Chicago controlled the game, outgaining the Browns 361–192.

Cleveland managed just nine first downs and struggled mightily on third down, converting only 4 of 14 attempts. Now officially out of the playoff race, the Browns have three games left for Sanders and Stefanski to find some kind of rhythm. And show that they can at least get on the same page heading into the offseason.

Shedeur Sanders can save Kevin Stefanski’s job

At 3-11, Stefanski’s seat is undeniably warm. And with only three games left this season, the idea that Shedeur could be the coach’s Hail Mary isn’t just hot take chatter. It’s a real question being floated by voices like Jonathan Peterlin of 92.3 The Fan.

“I really do wonder how much of this is just tied to idea that, legitimately, Shedeur could just save Stefanski’s job,” he said.

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And it’s easy to see why that line of thinking exists: a rookie QB who shows flashes can change the optics fast. But if we’re being blunt and realistic, Shedeur can’t do it alone. Since Stefanski gave up play-calling and the team has rotated three quarterbacks, rolled out nine different starting offensive-line combinations, and suffered persistent miscues, the Browns haven’t exactly built a stable environment for a young QB to thrive.

Statistically and situationally, that instability has translated to inconsistent results: Shedeur is 1–3 after four starts despite some promising moments. So what would “saving Stefanski” actually look like? It would take an immediate, sustained lift across offensive line play, fewer procedural errors (the wristband fiasco type). And a cleaner third-down work. Think of basically the support structure every rookie quarterback needs. Will that happen or not? That just remains to be seen.