Injuries make evaluation of Sanders a challenge

The evaluation process of Shedeur Sanders and the state of the Cleveland Browns at quarterback could be murkier for the final two games of the season. Sanders will be without one of his prime weapons with rookie running back Quinshon Judkins slated to have surgery this week after suffering a dislocated right ankle and broken fibula late in the second quarter of Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The second-round pick is second among rookies in rushing with 827 yards and he finished two yards shy of 1,000 yards from scrimmage. Sanders is already playing behind a makeshift offensive line. Two of the regular starters are on injured reserve and another was inactive for the third straight game. Now he'll be without Judkins, who had 13 touches (eight rushes, five receptions) for 51 yards when he was injured. The run game did show some depth in the loss. Raheim Sanders had 42 yards on 11 carries and Trayveon Williams added 17 yards on three attempts. "I thought they both had really good moments. Rocket (Sanders) had a couple hard yards in there where he ran between the tackles, kept his legs moving," coach Kevin Stefanski said. "Trayveon made some plays in the pass game as well. So, we're counting on those guys, and we'll be counting on them this week as well." What the depth chart will look like for Sunday's game against Pittsburgh remains to be seen. Dylan Sampson was inactive for a second straight week due to a hand injury and could factor into the mix. Sanders was the leading rusher against the Bills with 49 yards as the Browns rushed for a season-high 160 yards with the 5.16 yards per carry being their second-highest average in a game this season. The other positive for Sanders is that he slid after big gains on scrambles instead of taking unnecessary hits. "We talked during the week about, we thought there may be some moments that he'll be able to tuck it and go, and I thought he did a nice job early," Stefanski said. "There was the one where (he was) kind of bouncing around the pocket, had two hands on the ball, then went forward and made a huge play. Another time, they were playing man and everything kind of flushed out in front of them – went vertical, made a huge play. So those are very, very real yards. "It's a tough dynamic for a defense to have to defend the quarterback when he tucks it and can go. So that's all part of his game. Obviously, then you want to make sure that your quarterback's being smart at the end of those runs to make sure that he's taking care of himself as well." Sanders completed 20 of 29 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown, but also threw two costly and avoidable interceptions that led to 10 Buffalo points. It was also another lousy day for the receivers, who were limited to five catches for 23 yards. Watson won't be activated Stefanski said Tuesday that Deshaun Watson will not be activated to the activated roster. Watson's 21-day practice window opened Dec. 3 and he mainly worked with the scout team. The nine-year veteran has been on the physically unable to perform list since the start of the season. He ruptured his right Achilles tendon twice in a three-month period — first during the first half of a Oct. 20, 2024, loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and then in January. "He's done a great job with everything that's that's been asked of him, but just felt like this was the right decision for him and for us," Stefanski said. What's working The Browns bounced back on third down, converting eight of 14 against Buffalo after going 4 of 14 at Chicago. Needs help Run defense. Buffalo's James Cook rushed for 117 yards and averaged 7.3 yards per carry. The Browns have allowed 141.1 yards per game on the ground the past eight games, sixth-highest in the league along with 11 touchdowns and nine runs of 20 yards or more. Injuries Tight end David Njoku (knee) and cornerback Denzel Ward (calf) were inactive for the second straight game. Key numbers 12 — The number of seasons the Browns have had at least 12 losses since their return in 1999. They had only one (1990) from 1946 through 1995. 22 — Sacks for Myles Garrett. He needs one to surpass Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt for the NFL single-season record. What's next The Browns look to snap a seven-game losing streak in AFC North games when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.