Browns 30, Panthers 10
SHEDEUR SANDERS: Receivers, everybody did their part and I feel like everybody believed.
Q. (Inaudible).
SHEDEUR SANDERS: I would say just the energy. The energy around, I would say the energy around the Browns, I just feel like overall, it was a different spark. I fellow like it was a spark. Even though it's a preseason game, typically people don't take those too much serious, but, like, that's our Super Bowl, you know? That's each and every players' Super Bowl.
The change is a family thing. It's a family. You got to be able to go to war with each and every guy and understand, like, we're not playing for ourselves here. We're playing for each other, you know, so not making selfish mistakes, not doing that type of stuff, getting through reads. Hand the ball off, doing what you got to do. Everybody do their job and that's how we believe in one another.
Q. Shedeur, the fact that you played so many plays into the fourth quarter versus the way it's gone in camp with the reps being split, how did that help your comfort level just in throwing with the game?
SHEDEUR SANDERS: I'm comfortable being uncomfortable. That's what it is. I got pockets of finding my rhythm and I got to get into that quicker, regardless of anything, but overall I feel like me out there, you know? And I couldn't do it, of course, without the time. I couldn't do it without the play calling. I couldn't do it without anything. I'm just thankful to even be able to have, the joy of being on the field overall and carrying the responsibility of doing the right thing. That's two badges under my belt already that I got out there. I feel like we operated the huddle really good.
So it's just the small details that, of course, we practice on and we talk about and I say, of course towards the end I say we got a little sloppy and we overall are going to finish it up and that's going to be a point of emphasis going oh into this next week but, you know, I was just thankful just to share that moment with everybody.
Q. Shedeur, how do you think you handled the nerves and the adrenaline right off the bat?
SHEDEUR SANDERS: I'm going ton honest... I wasn't nervous. I didn't really have too much adrenaline. It was just getting comfortable. That's all it is. Like, it's plenty games before like I was nervous but I felt like I knew the answers to the test. So it's like when you feel unprepared, then when you don't feel like you're ready for the moment, I know I'm ready for the moment. Did I play up to par? No, I don't feel like I did, but overall the main goal was to win and that's honestly what we did.
Q. (Inaudible) with your dad today, he's been tweeting things out and --
SHEDEUR SANDERS: I don't even have Twitter on my phone. Y'all get reckless on there.
Q. Have you talked to him since the end of the game yet?
SHEDEUR SANDERS: I texted him before the game. I called him, he didn't answer. I said see? This is why I just don't call you. (Laughter) He didn't answer the phone. He didn't answer the phone when I called but, you know, they have their own fall camp going and everything, so I forgive him a little bit, but he definitely, he sent me a voice message that's pretty cool overall. I don't know if it's still on my phone, but overall I'm just thankful just for the opportunity.
Q. There was so much talk, especially leading up to this week (inaudible) that maybe you were not prepared enough. What would you say to that message? That maybe people think you weren't put in a position to succeed?
SHEDEUR SANDERS: I mean overall in life I don't want anybody to make excuses. I female like making excuses for whatever situation, like you ask God for something and it's there, then you're going to come plain about it? So there's two ways you can look at it. You can look at it and be thankful and take full advantage of the opportunity or look at it like dang, this is what I've been asking for and I'm not prepared.
I would say I have been able to sleep good at night knowing I was playing. I didn't know I was playing until one of these days that was close. I just prepared as normal, but it was definitely that switch kicked in. And when your out there on the field, it's just different. You understand, ball is ball. I never -- the ball's never been a problem for me. It's whatever optics or whatever everybody else makes up after outside the game. But in the game, y'all kind of know who I am.
Q. When did you feel yourself settle in? Do you remember when? Was there a particular throw? You made a lot of little quick throws. When did you feel yourself really settle in?
SHEDEUR SANDERS: I don't specifically when, I just know the feeling overall so that's really the most routes I threw to all the receivers, so I really didn't know, someone came out the breaks and everything, so that's why I feel like point emphasis this week is just be prepared even more because I feel like I was straight, but I feel like to be where I want to go, I don't think that was good enough.
Q. Can you walk us through those two touchdown passes?
SHEDEUR SANDERS: I don't even remember the play honestly right now.
Q. Why did you say you're worried about the par?
SHEDEUR SANDERS: Incompletions. There's incompletions out there that I know I'm able to complete. That's the only thing.
Q. Do you remember that pass (inaudible) caught with one hand. What did you see on that play and to see him make that catch, what was that like? Because you had a catch with him over the course of camp.
SHEDEUR SANDERS: Yeah, I'm just excited for all of them. I gifted a lot of receivers the Prime DT '96s. A couple of them had them on so I just gifted a could believe -- like the main receivers going into this game, I gifted them some cleats. Some we're them, some don't but I'm like okay, this is just my little appreciation gift to them, because they don't be having a lot in stock. I couldn't do everybody. I wish I could.
But, yeah, it's great knowing that he's able to come out here and put on a show how he's supposed to and how he know he can but we still need a couple more receivers and them to be able to get off. But the way we was able to run the ball and how the running backs were running, they were running physical and the line was making their blocks and not letting people get back there so I was thankful.
Q. (Inaudible) did you know...
SHEDEUR SANDERS: Yeah. That's what I'm saying, it's a feeling. The first one I had 22. It was like eh, but it wasn't me, you know? So that's when it's like you know it, like, internally. I don't know. What do you do for a hobby? Like what's your hobby?
Q. I'm a bad golfer.
SHEDEUR SANDERS: But you know when you're going to swing a good one. You know when you swing it it's going to come out right, so, you know, that's it.
Q. Shedeur, when you think about the open competition as it's called, how do you process that and do you feel like you really have a fair shot to maybe win the job?
SHEDEUR SANDERS: See, that's -- I just think about when I get out there just doing what I got to do, you know? Everything else is not in my hands so why worry about it? That's like, I don't know, I just don't think that deep into because there's nothing you're going to be able to control. So why put energy into something that you can't control? So the most you can do is, hey, when you get your opportunity, when your number is called, perform at least do the bare minimum and win the game. That's what I feel like we did today and definitely things I'm able to grow off of.
THE MODERATOR: Last one.
Q. (Inaudible) so patient, look over there and see you sometimes on another field over there by yourself. (Inaudible) haven't gotten a rep yet with the first-team offense. How were you able to remain so patient? Did you know that once the reigns came off, it would be go-time for you?
SHEDEUR SANDERS: I mean, God's patient with us as humans. We mess up at times, but I don't feel like he throws us away as individuals, so it's different things and different life lessons you got to go through and I haven't went through this situation, you know, that I'm in ever. So it's really just a test, you know? I feel like from God or whoever it's from. It's just a test.
But anyway, I'm just thankful that I was able to see the day of light and get out there and be able to play, so, you know, they didn't have to let me play. So anything and everything is good for me. Then the kids looking up, the kids definitely inspire me, of course, more.
There's a lot of people incarcerated that definitely talk to their friends that talk to me to tell me my friend from jail was, you know, watching you play and watching everything that's going on. So it's just, like, the world is so small and everybody sees everything and I'm thankful to be able to inspire people through everything because a lady just told me now, when I'm having a bad day, I just think about Shedeur and I'm saying I'm going to act like Shedeur. That's so cool to me that I'm some form of inspiration.
THE MODERATOR: Appreciate y'all.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports