Browns' Kevin Stefanski deflects question on why Shedeur Sanders isn't starting

The Cleveland Browns, after coming off a dominant win over the Miami Dolphins, were looking to keep the momentum rolling with a win over the ascending New England Patriots.

While Myles Garrett came to play, recording a franchise record five sacks, the offense couldn't get much going all day. They lost 32-13, failing to score any points in the second and third quarters after being ahead 7-3 after one quarter.

The next day, Mark Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com asked head coach Kevin Stefanski whether Shedeur Sanders would get a look with the offense struggling with Dillon Gabriel at quarterback. Stefanksi shut such a notion down, deflecting the question.

Browns' Kevin Stefanski shuts down Shedeur Sanders' starting question after rough Week 8 performance

"My focus is where we are right now," Stefanski said, "That's not my focus."

Why wouldn’t #Browns Kevin Stefanski give Shedeur Sanders a shot to see if he can do any better? pic.twitter.com/YGVTMSj4rF

The Browns are 2-6 heading into their Week 9 bye after their blowout loss to the Patriots. In the Week 8 loss, Gabriel struggled to maintain a solid footing against a tough Patriots defense.

Gabriel went 21 of 35 for 156 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, one sack for 11 yards lost, and one intentional grounding penalty in the endzone for a safety.

He has struggled in his limited starting opportunities in the NFL so far, though this game was the first time he's thrown an interception. Previously, he hadn't turned the ball over through the air, but against the Patriots, Gabriel played his worst game of the year.

Even though he had two passing touchdowns, one came late into the game to make it 30-13, when any score didn't matter much for the Browns.

More: Kevin Stefanski makes Browns starting QB announcement for Week 10

The 24-year-old hasn't been incredible or terrible in his stint as the Browns starter, but Gabriel's struggles in Week 8 open the door for Sanders to get a crack in the starting lineup.

He was out for the Week 8 contest as he was dealing with back tightness. Coming out of the bye week, Sanders could get a chance to start, but based on Stefanski's comments, it seems more likely that Gabriel will remain the starter for now.

But if Gabriel continues to struggle coming out of the bye week, getting a look at Sanders is a reasonable decision for the Browns to make. Sticking with Gabriel isn't looking like a viable long-term plan if he doesn't improve, so letting Sanders get a chance is worthwhile for Cleveland.

For now, Gabriel will be the team's starter. Stefanski and the Browns will continue to face questions about whether Sanders will take over as the starter. Starting Sanders isn't Stefanksi's focus at the moment, but it should be if Gabriel's struggles continue.

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