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Week 1 features a series of marquee matchups, all of them in the eastern half of the country. On the West Coast, the intrigue level is low.
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Jon Wilner
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It’s not every year that the Cleveland Browns have six quarterbacks on their roster, but that’s what can happen when you finish with one of the worst offenses in football.
Cleveland came into camp this summer with veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, and injured veteran Deshaun Watson. Tyler ‘Snoop’ Hunley was later added after injuries.
But in a post on X from ESPN NFL Senior Insider Adam Schefter, it appears that Cleveland is starting to figure things out.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has officially declared rookie Gabriel as Flacco’s backup for Week 1. After the team moved on from Pickett yesterday, this leaves rookie Shedeur Sanders as Cleveland’s third-string QB.
For now.
Some local reporters have speculated that Cleveland could be considering bringing back recently released veteran Tyler ‘Snoop’ Huntley as either a practice squad quarterback, or even a potential third stringer. If that were to happen then it’s anyone’s guess as to what happens with Shedeur.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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Matty Willz
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Shedeur Sanders posted an optimistic message on social media on Sunday as he wrapped up the first preseason of his career with the Cleveland Browns.
Sanders posted a carousel of pictures, showing eager fans hoping to convince the rookie quarterback to sign their memorabilia and one with his teammates huddled around him.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) enters the field before the game between the Browns and the Los Angeles Rams at Huntington Bank Field. (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)
Thanks everyone for the (love) and support,” he wrote. “There’s a lot to learn from this preseason, but I’m really thankful for the opportunity to be out there. Day by day, rep by rep, I’ll keep learning and getting better.”
Sanders struggled in his final preseason appearance for the Browns. However, his spot on the Browns’ roster appeared to be safe as the team cut Pro Bowl quarterback Tyler Huntley. ESPN reported that Cleveland is likely to go with four quarterbacks on its 53-man roster instead of two or three.
Sanders told reporters after the game he “obviously” believes he deserves to be on the final roster.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles during the game at Lincoln Financial Field. (Kyle Ross/Imagn Images)
NFL QUARTERBACK BEN DINUCCI HANDLES LATEST SETBACK WITH AIRPORT BEER
“I think, overall as a player, I’ve put in the work. I feel like everything I do, I try to do it to my best and that’s all I can ask for,” he said. “I feel like everybody feels like they should be on the team.”
“If you ask anybody on the team, would they feel like they belong – they belong in their own eyes. I feel like I do, but I’m my own player. I think about myself in a high regard, of course. It’s not my decision.”
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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Gage Larvadain (84) and quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) walk off the field after the game between the Browns and the Los Angeles Rams at Huntington Bank Field. (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)
Sanders was fourth on the depth chart throughout the preseason. It’s unclear where he will be positioned going into the regular season.
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The Cleveland Browns finished up their preseason schedule on Saturday afternoon with a matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Shedeur Sanders played, but did not see much action throughout the course of the game.
When all was said and done against the Rams, Sanders completed three of his six pass attempts for 14 yards. He also fumbled once.
Sanders not receiving more playing time was a bit surprising. What was even more perplexing about the situation is that he was pulled late in the game in favor of Tyler Huntley with an opportunity for a game-winning drive on the line.
That decision was not very popular among Browns fans. Even former NFL quarterback Derek Carr took to social media to question Cleveland’s decision.
Read more: Browns’ Shedeur Sanders Issues 1-Word Statement on Making Roster
In a post on X, Carr delivered a strong message to the Browns.
“I need to understand why we don’t get to see @ShedeurSanders run this 2 minute drill?” Carr wrote. “Wouldn’t you want to see your young QB operate in this situation? Get him more reps for the future? I didn’t see the whole game so maybe he already showed enough? Help me understand this…”
Carr is 100 percent accurate. Cleveland isn’t going to keep Huntley on its roster. Why would the team not want to get Sanders more reps in a key situation?
Kevin Stefanski’s decision was extremely confusing.
Despite the questioning from Carr, the decision was made. Sanders was not given the opportunity for development or the opportunity to end the game with a strong drive that forced his name even further into the conversation about playing time.
Sanders is currently expected to be at the bottom of the Browns’ quarterback depth chart. Joe Flacco will be the starter, with Kenny Pickett as the expected primary backup. Dillon Gabriel, a fellow rookie, is expected to be placed ahead of Sanders as well.
Read more: Colorado’s Deion Sanders Makes His Point Clear to Shedeur and Shilo
Starting the season off as the No. 4 quarterback on the depth chart isn’t where he wanted to be. However, he has handled the situation with maturity and has maintained a great attitude and has been a great teammate.
It will be interesting to see what the 2025 season has in store for Cleveland at the quarterback position. Not giving Sanders more reps isn’t something that will be forgotten anytime soon by the fans.
For more on the Cleveland Browns and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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In college, Shedeur Sanders was him. In the NFL, he is becoming Tim.
And that’s not good.
The only thing NFL coaches hate more than pre-snap penalties are distractions. And this is where Sanders’ star power works against him with the Cleveland Browns. Remember Tim Tebow? Of course you do. He is the only drafted Broncos quarterback to win a playoff game. He was traded after that season, started two games for the New York Jets, and disappeared into TV work.
Sanders profiles as an NFL starter. Should be one.
But the league did not see him that way, with 143 players selected before the Browns pulled the ripcord on his free fall. Even that was a mess since they had drafted Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel in the third round. Fifth-round picks are not guaranteed roster spots. Sanders needed to show up in Cleveland with a low profile — no personal media crew, and, in hindsight, an Uber gift card to avoid speeding tickets.
Sanders is better than Gabriel, whose helmet is already hitting his ceiling. But that doesn’t matter. If the Browns believe Sanders is a backup — and foolishly keeping four quarterbacks on the opening roster will scream as much — then they will want him to blend into the furniture.
CU fans love Shedeur’s brand. The style. The watch flex. It worked famously in Boulder. But for all the advantages of playing for his father, Deion Sanders, there was a clear downside of facing no consequences or competition.
His success was legendary. In the NFL, he is currently viewed as ordinary. It’s not fair. However, unless you are a first-round pick, have a huge contract, or are a coach’s favorite, you don’t get the benefit of the doubt.
Coaches don’t want celebrity quarterbacks. And they definitely don’t want celebrity backup quarterbacks. Don’t believe it? How quickly did the careers of Cam Newton and Jay Cutler end?
Sanders, who sat out last week with an oblique injury, will play in the Browns’ final preseason game after 40-year-old starter Joe Flacco and Gabriel.
Sanders’ popularity is a multiplier. It works great when you are leading the team. Right now, he could fit anywhere from second to fourth on the depth chart.
This might be Sanders’ best shot to start in the NFL. There is only one way to beat the system: Quiet all the noise and beat out the players ahead of him.
MPJ Talks the Talk: Michael Porter Jr. clearly wanted out of Denver. He aims to be featured on the floor and off. MPJ has spoken freely about numerous issues since being traded to the Nets, including having a “vice in the form of women.” Porter was always a candid interview. But word of advice: MPJ, your podcast is becoming TMI (too much information).
Schaeffer’s future: Fans falling for the Rockies’ 15-17 record after the All-Star break are missing the larger point. They have some good young players. But, they have no can’t-miss starting pitchers in the minors. It is a reflection of a draft-and-development problem that demands an entirely new front office. That said, manager Warren Schaeffer has shown he is capable. Same with hitting instructor Jordan Pacheco, who has helped reduce strikeouts over the last month. They deserve praise, but no guarantees of jobs, because the next general manager must have freedom to hire his own staff and scouts.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.
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Troy Renck
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When the Cleveland Browns made the move to trade up for Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, it was an automatic hype machine for the franchise. Sanders has been one of the most talked about players in the league since the draft.
It’s quite possibly that he is the most talked about fifth-round pick in NFL history.
Sanders looked good in his NFL debut during the Browns’ preseason opener. He was unable to play in the second preseason game due to an oblique injury, but the conversation has already started to grow after his debut performance.
During that debut against the Carolina Panthers, Sanders completed Sanders completed 14 of his 23 pass attempts for 138 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, while also running for 19 yards on four attempts.
Read more: Colts Insider Hints at Potential Starting Quarterback Decision
He is involved in a four-man quarterback competition. Deshaun Watson is also on the roster as a fifth quarterback, but he’s not expected to play.
Cleveland seems very unlikely to carry five quarterbacks on its roster. At least one player will likely be on his way out of town before the regular season.
Right now, the Browns have Joe Flacco as their starter. Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders are fighting for the backup role. Gabriel happened to be the team’s third-round pick in the 2025 draft and moving on from him seems unlikely.
That could lead to the conversation coming down to Pickett and Sanders.
NFL insider Pete Prisco of CBS has hinted at Sanders possibly being the odd man out. He suggested that Cleveland could cut ties with the former Colorado star.
“The rookie that they would probably get rid of would be the one they took in the 5th round,” he said bluntly.
Read more: Packers Linked to Possible Micah Parsons Trade By NFL Insider
If the Browns were to cut or trade Sanders, the NFL world would be turned on its head. As of now, he’s being talked about as the face of the future for Cleveland.
That being said, the brutal reality is that he was a fifth round pick and the Browns might simply view him as such. Many fifth round or later quarterbacks don’t make rosters. Sanders could very well be in jeopardy.
Only time will tell, but this is a situation worth monitoring closely. Sanders might very well make the roster and see playing time this season, but there is a chance that he might not even make the team.
For more on the Cleveland Browns and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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BOULDER — Jon Cooper figured he was out of the unicorn hunting game when Travis Hunter picked off his heart and ran it all the way back to 1981.
“Roy Green was an outstanding nickel safety for the Cardinals,” Cooper, the longtime pro scout, associate GM and senior draft analyst with Ourlads.com, told me recently. “And went both ways before they decided he was too valuable as a receiver to do anything but (play offense).”
Cooper was at a St. Louis Cardinals game 43 years ago when Green, a speedy return ace who’d recently been turned into a two-way threat at wideout and defensive back, became the first NFL player since 1957 to intercept a pass and catch another in the same game.
“(Green) wasn’t as big as (CU football coach) Deion (Sanders) or Hunter,” the scout sighed. “He only did it for a season, or a season-and-a-half.”
With an old Jim Hart and a young Neil Lomax at quarterback, then-Cards coach Jim Hanifan didn’t mess around when it came to what side of the ball mattered more. Once the coaching staff saw Green, a former track star, rack up 708 receiving yards and lead the Redbirds in touchdown catches (four) while re-learning the position on the fly in 1981, his days as an NFL defensive back were numbered.
The whole experiment worked so well, Roy moved to offense full-time starting in 1982, eventually leading the NFL in touchdown catches in ’83 and in receiving yards in ’84, notching Pro Bowl berths in both seasons.
“There are certain guys you want to throw to, guys you know will hang on to the ball,” Hart told Sports Illustrated in December 1981. “Roy’s one of those guys.”
Hart might as well be describing No. 12, whose superhuman combination of hand-eye coordination, ball skills, agility and IQ have Buffs alums already calling him the best football player to ever don CU black and gold.
“He’s got a great head on his shoulder as well. He’s tough. He’s smart,” Dave Syvertsen, Ourlads’ senior draft analyst and scout, said of Hunter, the cornerback/wide receiver whose 5-2 Buffs host 5-2 Cincinnati on Saturday night at Folsom Field. “I think he’s got great contest-catch numbers, too.
“Great possession and ball skills. He has superstar potential.”
Syvertsen grades the junior out as a first-rounder at both wideout and cornerback in the ’25 NFL draft. But like Cooper, he has a feeling front offices will look to pigeonhole Hunter into one side of the ball in order to preserve his long-term health.
And like Roy Green two generations ago, they expect that side to be offense — with a sprinkling of defensive appearances, primarily as a nickel back or a slot corner, peppered in.
“I think he could be a great corner,” Cooper said. “(But) there’s something to be said for guys playing some slot corner and also playing on offense. Deion did it himself.
“I think it’s going to depend on the team. I could see him playing in sub packages on defense, because he’s so skilled … eventually, I think, he will be one or the other. I think receiver is probably where he can make the biggest impact long-term. The jury might be out as to whether he can go two ways initially or one way all the time. Unique, unique player.”
The afternoon after CU hosts the Bearcats, the Carolina Panthers, 1-6 and going nowhere fast, visit the Broncos (4-3) at Empower Field. Tankathon.com’s 2025 NFL mock draft as of Tuesday afternoon pegged Hunter going to the Patriots with the No. 1 overall pick and Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders being taken by Carolina with the second selection. Longtime ESPN draftnik Mel Kiper recently ranked Hunter as the No. 1 overall pick on his big board.
For a team that needs everything, including marketable, charismatic stars, Hunter ticks every box. That said, even Buffs icons such as Michael Westbrook, the greatest wideout in CU history, would suggest to Hunter that he lean on offense primarily at the next level.
“I would use him as a wide receiver,” Westbrook told me, echoing the scouts’ sentiments. “I would sparingly put him in (with) nickel packages, dime packages. Anytime they’ve got four wideouts on the field, Travis goes in.”
Defense may win championships, but touchdowns pay the bills. Unlike in Green’s era, limitation on contact with receivers, combined with rules that discourage quarterback hits, have made the NFL more of a passing league than ever.
“(He’s) a top-5 pick,” Cooper said. “Body control, speed. And he’s a great corner. I could see where if a team wanted to use those skills, they could find a way. At least initially.”
As Hunter already knows full well, the league is about making business decisions — and the money for receivers is better than the market for cornerbacks. According to Spotrac.com, the top 6 highest-paid NFL wideouts sport an average cap hit of $25.7 million for 2024, while the top five highest-paid NFL corners average a $19.1 million cap hit.
“If he wanted to become a legit No. 1 receiver on a team, (that franchise) might not want a lot of defensive snaps,” Cooper said. “Even six or seven snaps a game (on defense) might not fit in today’s NFL.”
Some coaching staff may think Hunter is too valuable a receiver to risk on defense, or too valuable a defender to risk getting pummeled on pass routes. Either way, the fare for unicorn rides is about to go up.
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Sean Keeler
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Initial observations from the CU Buffs’ 34-7 win over the Arizona Wildcats in Big 12 play at Arizona Stadium.
Paging Sean Payton: An onside kick attempt to start the game? Did Arizona head coach Brent Brennan consult the Broncos’ Sean Payton earlier this week? Bold move, to say the least — if not a very bright one. It was almost as if Brennan knew exactly what was coming down the pike. There was no way the Wildcats’ leaky secondary was coming up with enough stops to win this game … unless special teams could steal an extra possession or two. A weird message to send your team before a ball is even snapped. But at least Brennan is a realist.
Weapons to spare: Who needs a run game when you have Shedeur Sanders and an endless stream of pass-catchers? Certainly not CU against a defense like Arizona’s. Can’t rush the passer? Have problems covering receivers one-on-one or tackling in space? Shedeur and the Buffs will eat you alive, whether it’s third-and-long, third-and-short, or, in the case of the QB’s 14-yard strike to Travis Hunter in the first half, fourth-and-10. So even if the Buffs average 2.3 yards on 22 attempts, as they did in the first half, it’s plenty. They still converted 8 of 11 third downs and put 28 points on the board. By the time everything was said and done, LaJohntay Wester had eight catches for 127 yards. And he’s, what, CU’s third- or fourth-best receiver? Yikes!
Livingston’s stock on rise: Stats may not be kind to the Buffs defense — CU entered Saturday 94th in FBS in yards allowed and 73rd in points allowed — but the eye test says Robert Livingston’s unit is trending up. And it’s happening at the line of scrimmage — an area that was a notable issue last season. In two of the last three games, CU has bottled up one of the nation’s top rushing attacks (UCF, 177 yards) and harassed one of its most productive passers (Arizona’s Noah Fifita) to the tune of seven sacks, CU’s most since posting eight against Iowa State in 2010. The Buffs now have 16 sacks in their last three games.
Heisman watch: This was not a day to worry about Travis Hunter’s Heisman Trophy campaign. With CU’s two-way star clearly not 100% after getting dinged in the Kansas State loss last week, Coach Prime did the smart thing, holding Hunter out over the final two quarters as “preventative measures.” CU already had a 28-7 lead, and Hunter’s mortal stat line (54 snaps, two receptions for 15 yards, one tackle) will soon be a mere footnote as long as he delivers a few more superhuman performances down the stretch. (Spoiler alert: He probably will.)
Road warriors: The Buffs have now gone on the road twice in conference and delivered easily the two most complete performances of the Deion Sanders Era. The combined score in those wins at UCF at Arizona? 82-28. Not. Too. Shabby. This is what title contenders do against inferior opponents: They take the crowd out of the game early and never let up. Sure, there were mistakes, including a botched snap in Wildcats territory and a Shedeur Sanders pick inside Arizona’s 20. But unlike last year’s Buffs, those turnovers didn’t even come close to sinking them. A B.J. Green strip-sack erased the former, and a Wildcats three-and-out the latter. With five very winnable games left on the schedule — Cincinnati, at Texas Tech, Utah, at Kansas and Oklahoma State — there is a very real path to the College Football Playoff.
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Matt Schubert
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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Shedeur Sanders threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns to help Colorado match its victory total for all of last season with a 48-21 rout of UCF.
Two-way star Travis Hunter had a TD catch and interception for the Buffaloes, who have won three straight games following a lopsided road loss to Nebraska. Hunter scored on a 23-yard reception in the first quarter, struck a Heisman pose after his second-half inteception, and finished with nine catches on nine targets for 89 yards.
Sanders also had TD throws of 47 yards to Will Sheppard and 10 yards to LaJohntay Wester on the way to completing 28 of 35 passes with one interception.
Colorado’s improved defense forced four turnovers.
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The Associated Press
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Michael Westbrook has a new second-favorite miracle.
“Our Hail Mary won the game,” the iconic former CU wide receiver told me by phone Monday when I asked to compare his 1994 Miracle at Michigan catch — which turns 30 on Tuesday — to Shedeur Sanders’ Mile High Miracle, the Baylor Blessing, in the Buffs’ bonkers overtime win this past weekend.
“Theirs prevented them from losing the game. Ours won the game.”
With that, he laughed.
“You’ve got to remember who you’re talking to. I’m still Michael Westbrook. I’m still going to talk smack. Even though those are my Buffs.”
He’s loving those 3-1 Buffs, by the way. And he loves wideout LaJohntay Wester’s sliding catch in the rain, the grab that brought Folsom Field to its feet and sent fans outside scurrying back to their seats as time expired.
“Kordell (Stewart) had all the time in the world (in 1994),” Westbrook continued. “Shedeur running was the complete opposite. He’s getting tackled while he releases the ball. It was a stark contrast.
“And (Stewart) is back there waiting for a tip with my 43-inch vertical, just sitting back there waiting. Theirs was a far more difficult play. Ours was very easy. We literally practiced that play every week. Every Friday we practiced that Hail Mary. (Shedeur’s) was a more skilled play, from their perspective.”
Still: Two similar touchdowns, the last one happening three days from the 30th anniversary of the first? Who says the football gods don’t have a sense of humor?
“It’s a huge blessing to have been a part of something like that,” Westbrook continued. “And then (30 years) later, to have something similar transpire … No. 10 throwing the ball in 1994 to No. 10 (Wester) actually catching it in 2024. My last name is Westbrook, his last name is Wester … it’s almost surreal.”
It’s almost poetry. While Shedeur Sanders swung for the fences, Stewart was watching at home, clutching a pitching wedge nervously.
“It’s one of those ‘moments,’ right?” the ex-Buffs QB told me Monday. “I’m like, ‘Are you freaking kidding me?’ Mind you, the (FOX Sports) broadcast had just shown my Hail Mary pass from 1994, right before Shedeur threw that pass.
“I don’t know if you call it fate. But history has a chance to repeat itself sometimes, in the same way, in the same capacity. I didn’t jump up. I was just like, ‘Wow, are you freaking kidding me?’ … I had a moment. I just remembered how it was for us.”
It was pandemonium. It was chaos. It was glorious.
On Sept. 24, 1994, the unbeaten and seventh-ranked Buffs trailed 26-14 to start the fourth quarter at fellow unbeaten and No. 4 Michigan. Staring at a 26-21 deficit with six seconds left, Stewart, the Buffs QB, had driven CU to its own 36. After a spike stopped the clock, then-Buffs coach Bill McCartney called for “Rocket Left,” in which Westbrook, Blake Anderson and Rae Carruth lined up on the left side of the formation and James Kidd lined up wide right.
The rest is college football history, still regarded as one of the wildest endings of any NCAA contest played over the last 50 years. Stewart dropped back to about his own 27 and fired a deep ball as time expired. The lob had enough juice to carry it past the Michigan 1-yard line, where a mass jump-ball situation ensued.
Anderson tipped the rock high and behind him, where the 6-foot-3 Westbrook, tracking the ball with his eyes, leaped up and cradled it as he rolled to the turf, stunning more than 100,000 Wolverines faithful in the process. Ralphie 27, Big Blue 26.
“There are no flags on the field,” the legendary Keith Jackson said on the broadcast. “Only despair for the Maize and Blue.”
Westbrook’s No. 1 Hail Mary was always going to be a beast to beat. Especially given the context. And the opponent. And the beatified building it silenced.
“The one thing I was jealous of, was when (Wester) caught the ball, the reaction was a complete, stark contrast (to mine),” Westbrook reflected. “It was complete and total, utter silence, versus the decibels being high enough (at Folsom) to pop your eardrums. And it was so awesome to see that.
“I was jealous and I was very proud of them. And very happy.”
The closest Big No. 81 ever came to that kind of maelstrom in Boulder was in September 1993. He’d tipped a Stewart Hail Mary to teammate Charles Johson for a TD against Baylor just before halftime, giving CU a 35-0 cushion at the break. The Buffs went on to maul the Bears, 45-21.
“(The Miracle at Michigan) was on the road, we overcame the adversity of 100,000 fans, we just overcame 10 penalties. We came back and won,” Westbrook continued. “(The ’24 Buffs) came back and won, too …
“It was a great play. I’m not going to take that away from them. To put that ball where (Sanders) put it and for (Wester) to catch it like he caught it, that was a better play. That play was better than our play.”
Another laugh.
“But that play, in the grand scheme of things, was not a better play.”
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Sean Keeler
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BOULDER — LaJohntay Wester knows college football heartbreak.
Wester had a fantastic career at Florida Atlantic, but he’s watched his Owls lose on a walk-off field goal in El Paso. He watched another team celebrate bowl eligibility on the final game of a lost season.
Now Wester knows pure, uncut college football joy.
Wester was on the receiving end of what instantly becomes one of the most famous passes in Colorado football history Saturday night. He corralled a Hail Mary from Shedeur Sanders after time expired in regulation to force overtime in a 38-31 victory against Baylor at Folsom Field.
“Me being in college for a while, I’ve always been on the other end of the stick,” Wester said. “They rush the field after they beat us and we’re just trying to hurry off the field. This time I got to enjoy it and actually connect with some of the fans, take pictures. That’s great, man. It was an amazing feeling. There’s nothing like it.”
On a wild night befitting Colorado’s return to Big 12 play, the Buffs could have tied the game on the play before. Sanders heaved the ball toward the same corner of the Baylor end zone, but it deflected off Will Sheppard’s hands on a contested play.
The clock still read :02. Colorado had a second chance, and the Buffs didn’t waste it.
Three wide receivers — Wester, Sheppard and Omarion Miller — lined up to the left of Sanders. Travis Hunter, by design, split out by himself to the right.
Hunter might be the best college football player in America. On this play, he was the best decoy.
“I told coach, ‘Let me go to the side by myself,’” Hunter said. “I knew there would be more people on me, and that would give our guys backside a one-on-one opportunity. They did exactly what we thought. They had three people on me. I just know sometimes you got to step back and let the team go ahead and play their role and let them come down with a good play. So I trusted the process.
“I just wanted us to have a chance. It’s 50-50, but with our receiver corps it’s more like 80-20. I mean, you can’t get any better than our receiver corps.”
Sanders took the shotgun snap and rolled to his left. The Baylor pass rush hounded Sanders all night, sacking him eight times and pressuring him on dozens of his nearly 60 dropbacks.
Getting him out of the pocket was also by design, but two Bears nearly converged on him at midfield as Sanders sent the ball toward the front-left corner of the end zone.
Wester found the ball in the air and reacted, hauling it in just after Baylor defensive back Caden Jenkins fell down and well before the safety help could arrive. It was the fourth catch of the game on seven targets for Wester.
He wasn’t happy with at least one of the non-catches earlier in the game. Then he atoned.
“You’re not going to be perfect,” Wester said. “You’re going to have mistakes out there, but it’s just next play man and making up for it. As long as you make up for it, everybody is going to forget about those drops.”
The improbability of the play was amplified by everything that led up to it. Sanders was sacked on four out of Colorado’s first six plays after Baylor took a 31-24 lead. At one point, it was second-and-24 with 54 seconds to play and 69 yards to the end zone.
Then there was the near-miracle to Sheppard. In the end, Baylor called its defense for the final play. Bears coach Dave Aranda said its name was Victory Cigar.
Then it was Sanders and Wester who lit up Folsom Field.
“I always have confidence in Shedeur. He’s the reason I came here,” Wester said. “He came and got me and I told him, ‘I’m not going to let you down.’ I came here for a reason. He brought me here for a reason. He didn’t bring me here to drop balls and miss assignments. He brought me here to do what I do, and tonight I did what I did.”
And now Wester is going to spend the rest of his life learning about college football immortality in Boulder.
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Corey Masisak
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FORT COLLINS — Surely, Kansas State wasn’t allegedly offering CSU quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi $600,000 in NIL money just to hand off and get the heck out of the way.
“I have slowed the game down on offense a little bit,” Rams football coach Jay Norvell explained Monday at Canvas Stadium, “because we were playing some really talented people these first three weeks and I felt like, to give our defense a chance, I needed to slow down the game a little bit and run it a little bit more.”
The problem isn’t that the Rams are fighting Shedeur Sanders. The problem is that they look as if they’re fighting themselves.
Air Raid? Smash-mouth? None of the above? Hey, it’s good to be multiple. But over the last 11 months or so, the Rams offense has often looked downright schizophrenic.
Consider: In the first four series of a bonkers 2023 Rocky Mountain Showdown last September, CSU threw it 11 times. In the first four series of a boring first half this past weekend in the ’24 Showdown, a 28-9 CU victory, the Rams aired it out just five times, officially.
At home. Against one of the two schools your alums want desperately to beat most. In front of a rocking, ravenous and rare sellout at Canvas Stadium.
And yeah, we know — personnel played a factor. Last year’s Rams took on CU and the Sanders family with Dallin Holker at tight end, wideout Louis Brown IV and a healthy Tory Horton. CSU this past weekend had no Holker, no Brown and Horton (groin) toughing it out on basically one good leg.
But when you’ve been touting your QB1 as a Power 4-level signal-caller, and then can’t trust him to air it out against a Power 4 defense, red flags start popping up everywhere. Everybody’s credibility suffers.
“(We) need to get our playmakers involved, we need to get it going offensively,” Norvell continued. “And we’ve got talent. We can score. And we need to respond to that.”
“Are you saying you’re going to take a more aggressive approach from here on out with how you attack teams?” the coach was asked.
“No, I’m telling you that I think we had hard matchups, and I don’t think we matched up very well,” Norvell replied. “And I was trying to minimize that — and that’s what head coaches do.”
Fortunately, there’s all kinds of time left, nine games, with which to hammer out a new narrative. The Mountain West looks top-heavy, and CSU won’t play two of the three programs — UNLV and Boise State, Fresno State being the other — expected to vie for the league crown.
More hope: The Rams have already faced the two most talented two rosters they’ll see all year in No. 1 Texas and CU. Although if the point was to save some arrows in the quiver for league play, after last Saturday, it might be good for Norvell to start firing off a few.
“We’ve got a lot of season left,” the coach said, “and we’ve got all of our goals in front of us that we want to accomplish in our conference and in the remaining nine games.”
All true. But assuming this weekend’s visit from 0-3 UTEP gets the Rams (1-2) back to .500, it’s also not crazy to wonder if a visit to future league rival Oregon State (Oct. 5) and a home test with San Jose State (Oct. 12) leaves CSU at 2-4 heading into a tussle at rebuilding Air Force (1-2). It’s not unreasonable to wonder whether the CSU administration, after that CU stinker, will have everybody’s back if — if — the Rams are somehow 2-5 with three winnable home games (New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah State) left on the docket.
Norvell knows the score. He’s got a president and athletic director who didn’t hire him, and the former isn’t messing around.
The Pac-12, or what’s left of it, awaits.
“I’ve felt pressure since the day I started being a coach,” Norvell said. “I mean, that’s just part of it.”
He’s also his own offensive coordinator, his own play-caller, so everybody knows where the buck stops. Norvell’s never shied away from blame after tough losses. He’s rarely pointed fingers. But CSU fans I’ve talked to would prefer to lose more news conferences and win more football games, thanks all the same.
“You don’t want to get me on a soapbox about all that,” Norvell said. “We hadn’t talked about (CU) for months, OK? And so all that stuff that was brought up (as trash talk) was a long time ago.
“So I don’t really have any issue with Brayden or any of our guys. Our guys are focused on what can we improve to get better. And that’s about all I’ve got to say about that.”
If the Rams have an offensive identity right now, it’s that their players, including BFN, keep writing checks their program can’t cash. Nobody cheering on the green and gold right now knows what they’re going to get on game day. Besides heartbreak.
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Sean Keeler
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Initial observations from the CU Buffs’ 28-9 win over the CSU Rams in the Rocky Mountain Showdown’s return to Fort Collins and Canvas Stadium.
Changes up front: Coach Prime indicated the Buffs planned on making changes up front to solve their problems on the offensive line. The big moves? Phillip Houston at right tackle, old RT Tyler Brown to left guard and freshman Micah Welch in the backfield. The results? Quite positive. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was sacked just once (on a slide), while Welch (nine carries, 65 yards) found room to roam off the left side (when the Buffs actually decided to run it). Whether that has more to do with a leaky CSU defense than actual improvement remains to be seen. At the very least, CU saw the general competence it needed to on Saturday. And that’s a good start.
Total control: It took Shedeur Sanders and the Buffs roughly a quarter to get warmed up, but once they did, they controlled every facet of this game. Travis Hunter (13 catches, 100 yards, two TDs, one interception) remains one-of-one. LaJohntay Wester (five catches, 80 yards) joins CU’s growing list of offensive weapons. And the defense? Let’s just say they’ve figured some things out. Since the start of the second half in Nebraska, the Buffs have allowed just nine points over six quarters. The shallow crosses that tore apart CU in 2023 were shut off from the start. Outside of a couple of long runs, the Buffs did a solid job bottling up CSU’s run game. All in all, there was a lot to like for CU as the Big 12 schedule arrives next week vs. Baylor.
What’s happened to BFN?: A year ago, this was the game that cemented Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi as the Rams’ quarterback of the future. Twelve months later, CSU fans have to be wondering what happened to that guy. The sophomore was largely ineffective in the first half, sailing a pair of third-down throws and looking indecisive out of the pocket while completing 6 of 10 passes for just 54 yards. Then he opened the second half by throwing an all-too-familiar head-scratching interception across the middle. It didn’t get much better after that. Yes, Tory Horton’s inability to stay on the field changes what CSU can do. But it shouldn’t grind the Rams’ offense to a halt. Three weeks into his second season as a starter, it sure looks like BFN has taken a step back.
Too. Many. Mistakes: As dominant as the Buffs were for large portions of this game, CSU sure gave them plenty of opportunities to find their footing. Freshman defensive lineman Andrew Laurich was lucky he didn’t get tossed for his late hit on Shedeur Sanders in the second quarter. Instead, it was just a really bad personal foul that gifted CU a first down on an eventual touchdown drive. Graduate defensive lineman James Mitchell’s facemask on second-and-21 did the same thing one Buffs scoring march later. Toss in Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi’s pick, Keegan Holles’ first-and-goal fumble and two botched snaps in CU territory, and the errors were legion. The Rams needed to play near perfect to win this one. They were far from it.
Five years? That has to change: Green-and-Gold vs. Black-and-Gold needs to happen every fall from now until the end of time. And yet the next one of these isn’t scheduled until 2029, when the Rams visit the Buffs in Boulder. Five years is waaaaaayyyy too long for us to have to wait for another one Showdown. With the Rams set to move to the Pac-12 in 2026, and perhaps opening up a few more days, maybe something can be done between now and ’29? If there is any opening, the Buffs and Rams need to work it out. This rivalry should be renewed as often as possible.
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Matt Schubert
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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Dylan Raiola passed for 185 yards and a touchdown, Nebraska turned a dominating defensive performance into a big early lead, and the Cornhuskers went on to beat Colorado 28-10 in a game that turned into a slog in the second half.
The Huskers sacked Shedeur Sanders five times and pressured him throughout while winning the final meeting of a four-game home-and-home series.
The Buffs didn’t record a first down until their fifth possession, netted minus-2 yards in the first quarter and finished with 260. Tommie Hill had a pick-6 for Nebraska and Dante Dowdell ran for two TDs.
Sanders was benched with three minutes to play after throwing for 244 yards, 1 touchdown and an interception that was returned for a score. His counterpart – Nebraska freshman Dylan Raiola – completed 23 of 30 passes for 185 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions.
The Cornhuskers led 28-0 at halftime.
The box score officially credits Nebraska with six sacks on the evening (one of Ryan Staub, who replaced Sanders at quarterback for Colorado at the end of the game) as Nebraska’s defensive front consistently found its way into the Colorado backfield. Sanders officially finished with eight carries for minus-30 yards.
Colorado standout Travis Hunter caught 10 passes for 110 yards in an otherwise uninspiring offensive effort for the Buffs.
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The Associated Press
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For Shedeur Sanders, last year stood as a convincing opening statement.
The quarterback started with a record-setting performance in an upset road win against TCU. A couple of weeks after that, he led a last-second, 98-yard TD drive to eventually beat rival CSU in double OT. And even when CU’s wheels fell off, he still showed mettle, flashed several well-timed watch-flexes and played hurt, until he couldn’t anymore.
Now, it’s time for Sanders’ closing arguments in black and gold starting with Thursday’s opener against North Dakota State at Folsom Field. And if the team plays better around the senior this fall, it could be historic.
“If (the offensive line) can protect him, this young man may put up one of the great seasons in college football history,” predicted CU play-by-play man Mark Johnson. “(Darian) Hagan is at the top as national champ, and Kordell (Stewart) is up there too, but Shedeur is going to put himself in the conversation as the greatest Colorado quarterback if he has another season like he did last year.”
Sanders, who missed the final six quarters of 2023 with a back fracture, is healthy again. The Buffs retooled their offensive line with transfers and the top high school left tackle in the nation, Jordan Seaton.
If the big men can block a year after the line allowed 56 sacks, the weapons are there on the outside. Two-way star Travis Hunter, Jimmy Horn Jr., and transfers Will Sheppard and LaJohntay Wester give Sanders the chance to top last year.
And that’s saying something. Even as the Buffs stumbled to 4-8 and last in the Pac-12, Sanders set CU records for passing yards in a season (3,230), completion percentage (69.3), touchdown-to-interception ratio (9-to-1) and interception percentage (0.7).
Unsurprisingly, Sanders remains confident. Even before taking a snap this season, No. 2 is projected to be one of the top quarterbacks selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“That’s the difference, I’d say, between me and a lot of other players,” Sanders said at Big 12 media day. “I’m not close to my ceiling at all. I’ve got a long way to go.”
Sanders’ performance could also be helped by consistency from the play-caller.
Last year, Sean Lewis called the Buffs offense for the first eight games before Pat Shurmur took over for the final four games. Now with Shurmur as the team’s offensive coordinator, the former Giants head coach and Broncos OC believes the Buffs will be able to establish a consistent run game his QB never had in 2023.
“It’s hard to cook in somebody else’s kitchen because you can’t really change anything at that point,” Shurmur said. “I don’t know if (the end of 2023) was a springboard, but what I do know, we were able to reset (the offense) the way we wanted to. We went out and got some new players, some more quality big men, then we installed an offense that works for us. I feel like it’s a new start moving forward.”
But will a revamped offensive line along with Shurmur’s now-permanent role be enough for Sanders to take his game to the next level? Head coach Deion Sanders believes so, especially after the work his son put in with his trainer over the summer.
“He’s worked on some of the little mechanical things with his quarterback coach (Darrell Colbert Jr) out of Houston,” Deion Sanders said on ESPN last month. “And it’s not just the mechanics of footwork and ball placement and releases, but also just getting to know his players and his receivers and where they want the ball. You can see after 7-on-7s and practice, him grabbing a guy, pulling him to the side and telling him what he wants and what he saw.”
Whether all of this will result in more wins, and even better stats for the quarterback, remains to be seen.
What is certain is that even with Sanders’ enormous popularity — he was recently ranked No. 1 on FOX Sports’ list of college football superstars — the QB needs to win to put himself in the discussion for end-of-season national honors such as the Davey O’Brien Award and Heisman Trophy.
“If he puts up the numbers and CU is winning a good amount of their football games, because of who Prime is and the attention he brings to CU, I think he’ll be in that conversation,” former CU quarterback Bobby Pesavento said. “Now, is he in New York (as a Heisman finalist) and does he truly have a chance to win? That would take the Buffs doing something really special, like playing for a Big 12 championship again.”
CBS Sports national college football writer Dennis Dodd agrees, noting that after Sanders “was almost a one-man team last year,” the Buffs must capture some magic in their first season back in the Big 12 for Sanders to be in the Heisman race.
“The Heisman winner almost exclusively plays for a 10-win team that competes for a national championship and does something dramatic in November — if not a Heisman moment, a series of Heisman moments,” Dodd said. “It’s going to be hard for a QB of a 6-6 team to win it.”
Originally Published:
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Kyle Newman
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Rescuing Zach Wilson is smart. Stopping at Zach Wilson is hubris.
As a quarterback, Wilson’s merely appetizer material. If the NFL draft is still serving Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. as a main course, and at a reasonable cost, the Broncos would be crazy not to bite.
A QB room consisting of Wilson, Jarrett Stidham, Ben DiNucci and a seventh-round flier to be named late would be the worst in the division (pending Raiderfoonery ). And arguably the worst in an AFC that’s still loaded with franchise signal-callers.
In isolation, though, you get it. Landing Wilson from the Jets with a seventh-round pick for a sixth-rounder is a solid, low-cap, low-risk move. It just better not be the only one, at least where the quarterback is concerned.
After Russell Wilson took the money and ran, the best thing the Broncos could do at QB1 right now is open this competition to the masses. Bring in as many bodies as you can afford until one of them actually sticks.
And, on paper, this body’s got more upside than most. Maybe. The draftniks at NFL.com three years ago described the 24-year-old Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the ’21 draft, as a “blend (of) Jake Plummer and Johnny Manziel coming out of (BYU).” Which is both awesome (the Plummer part) and terrifying (the Manziel part) in the same sentence.
On one hand, the kid did beat Russell Wilson, head-to-head, at Empower Field as a visiting QB with the Jets twice in two trips since September 2022.
On the other, what the heck does that say?
If you look at Zach Wilson’s 30 career starts against anyone not named the Broncos, he’s sported a 10-20 record, thrown 23 touchdowns and 22 picks, and completed 17 passes per game at a clip of 56.5%.
Also, he got benched for Trevor Siemian. 2023 Trevor Siemian.
Wiser football heads, old coaches and scouts texted me Monday to say they still see a spark in Zach Wilson, that nobody could’ve walked away from the dumpster fire that is the J-E-T-S without some second-degree burns. That maybe Broncos QB Whisperer Sean Payton — Russell Wilson notwithstanding — is the sensei who winds up bringing it out of the guy, the way he brought it out of Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater and Kerry Collins, another top-5 bust in his early days with Carolina.
Although with the latter, it’s worth noting that Collins went 16-9 as a starter over his first two seasons with the Panthers, pre-Payton. He even made a Pro Bowl during his second season in the league before things went south. Wilson, at a similar stage in his career, hasn’t come anywhere close to that.
As depth, though, he works. As insurance, he fits. If anything, it means Payton and GM George Paton don’t have to feel forced to sell whatever farm is left in order to try to swoop into one of the top 5 picks in the draft. It probably also means that they’re not sure if they’ve got the capital to even pull that off.
Unless the tank for 2025 — a reality show of Shedeur Sanders, Deion Sanders and Peyton would be more theater than these mountains could handle — is truly on, Wilson helps a QB room. He doesn’t complete it. Add Penix or Nix to that mix, though? Now you’re cookin’ with gas.
Wilson is the banana bread French toast at Panzano, the mac & cheese at Nola Jane. A great first bite. But if he’s the last, this off-season is going to leave Broncos Country with a familiar, empty feeling in their guts.
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Sean Keeler
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BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — His mom gave the pregame speech. His defensive-back son started the scoring with an 80-yard pick-six. His quarterback son won it with a 98-yard drive for the ages and an overtime not soon forgotten.
It was quite a day for Deion Sanders. With a bunch of celebrity friends in town, too, to take it all in.
Shedeur Sanders threw a TD pass to Michael Harrison in the second overtime after leading the drive to tie the game with 36 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and No. 18 Colorado rallied to beat Colorado State 43-35 early Sunday in front of a full house packed with famous names.
Sanders connected with Harrison for an 18-yard score and then found an open Xavier Weaver on the 2-point conversion. The Colorado defense took it from there, with Trevor Woods intercepting Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi’s pass on fourth-and-23 to end the game at nearly 12:30 a.m. local time.
It set off a celebration as fans rushed the field for a second straight week. This was the biggest fourth quarter comeback for Colorado since 2005.
“We showed that we have no surrender or give-up in us,” Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders said. “They never doubted themselves.”
In the first OT, Shedeur Sanders patiently waited in the pocket until Harrison flashed open for a 3-yard score. Fowler-Nicolosi followed by connecting with Tory Horton on an 8-yard score.
With 2:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, Sanders and the Buffaloes (3-0) got the ball back on the 2-yard line and trailing 28-20. He led a seven-play drive that culminated with a 45-yard TD pass to Jimmy Horn Jr. with 36 seconds left. Sanders hit Harrison for the 2-point conversion.
“Well, we do it in practice all the time, so it’s not really a surprise to us,” Sanders said of the 98-yard drive. “We like these high-pressure moments”
“This is who he is,” Deion Sanders said.
A 23 1/2-point underdog, the Rams led for a large chunk of the game. Their unraveling was 17 penalties for 182 yards, including a flag for a block below the waist that nullified a touchdown in the second overtime.
Rams coach Jay Norvell added spice to the Rocky Mountain Showdown earlier in the week by taking a jab at Deion Sanders for not taking off his sunglasses and hat in interviews. After the game, Sanders and Norvell shook hands near midfield amid a sea of fans.
“This rivalry has been going on way longer and before I got here,” said Norvell, who’s in his second season at Colorado State. “It’s going to be going on way after I leave.”
As for their squabble, it’s water under the bridge to Sanders.
“I wish the best for him,” he said.
Sanders and the Buffaloes fed off the perceived slight all the way into the game. Shilo Sanders donned sunglasses after his 80-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter as his proud father raced down the sideline in happiness.
“Those ticket prices were worth it today,” Shilo Sanders said.
Shedeur Sanders finished with 348 yards, four TDs and one interception for the Buffaloes, who won their sixth straight over the Rams (0-2). Sanders was missing receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, who was ruled out in the third quarter with an undisclosed injury and taken to the hospital for further evaluation. He could be out a few weeks.
Colorado State put a bye week to good use by finding ways to contain Sanders and the explosive Colorado offense for moments of the game. The Rams tried to spoil the party hosted by Deion Sanders, who had big-name celebrities in town such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and rapper Lil Wayne.
Fowler-Nicolosi had 367 yards and three TDs. Receiver Tory Horton caught a TD pass and threw another on a trick play to tight end Dallin Holker.
“Every loss hurts but this one does hurt a little more just the way we lost it,” Fowler-Nicolosi said. “It’s brutal.”
It was chippy at times, with Rams defensive lineman Mohamed Kamara getting a finger in the face mask from Shedeur Sanders after a play. Kamara was later disqualified in overtime for a targeting call on Sanders.
The emotions heated up early, too, with both teams gathering at midfield about an hour before kickoff and exchanging some words. Hunter left the gathering to run over to the student section and fire up the fans.
Deion Sanders has turned the Buffaloes into the talk of college football since taking over a team that went 1-11 last season.
This weekend, both ESPN’s “College GameDay” and Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” were both on campus. Some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment turned up in Boulder, including “The Rock” appearing on the set of GameDay and took off his jacket to reveal he was wearing Shedeur Sanders’ No. 2 jersey. The Buffaloes took the field to a mini-concert performed by Lil Wayne in the end zone just before kickoff ( Deion Sanders gifted him a jersey).
“They’ve got Lil Wayne over here, Coach Prime doing his thing. They’ve got a whole animal running around,” Shilo Sanders said of the pregame festivities that also included the live buffalo mascot Ralphie running the field. “I would’ve been so scared if I was the other team.”
Colorado State: The Rams have lost 17 straight games to ranked teams on the road, according to Pac-12 research.
Colorado: The announced attendance was 53,141 in a game where tickets were going for an average purchase price is $214, according to TickPick. The Buffaloes have sold out five home games this season and are close to selling out a sixth (Arizona on Nov. 11).
Hard to say how voters will judge this. It was an epic comeback. But the Buffaloes were a big favorite.
Colorado State: Play at Middle Tennessee on Saturday.
Colorado: At No. 13 Oregon on Saturday.
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
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