Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has already made a strong impression on Shedeur Sanders.
The Cleveland Browns quarterback is fighting to keep the starting job he earned last season, facing veteran Deshaun Watson in training camp. The Browns are taking on the Bills in joint practices on Thursday before the teams meet in a preseason game this weekend, and Sanders had some good words for Allen before they met.
Shedeur Sanders Recalls Meeting Josh Allen
Speaking to reporters earlier in the week, Sanders said he had a chance to interact with Allen and found him “cool.” Allen has gained a reputation as an amiable quarterback, maintaining relationships with other signal-callers across the league and often working out or sharing tips with them.
“Josh Allen, I met him a couple of times in the past through different deals and stuff off the field,” Sanders said. “He’s always been cool. I always respect him fully. He plays a great game. His style of play fits him perfectly.”
Sanders is facing significant pressure going into the joint practices and Saturday’s game. Browns head coach Todd Monken has not given a timeline for when the team will pick its starter for this season, so the former Colorado quarterback said every opportunity to prove himself is critical.
“I’ll say every day of my life’s important,” Sanders said, via ESPN. “Every day’s important. I want to say it’s [not] a day that’s not important. So that’s just another day going out there doing what I got to do, honestly. I don’t really feel anxiety or any pressure going into things like that anymore, because that’s how I approach everything. So, it’s just another day of going to work. That’s all it is for me.”
The joint practices could be especially critical. Monken and Bills head coach Joe Brady said they will be keeping starters out of this weekend’s preseason game, with Watson and Sanders splitting reps.
While Sanders is slated to start against the Bills on Saturday, he will be throwing to the team’s second-team membrs of the offense.
“Mindset heading into the practice? I would say the same approach we have every practice that we go to,” Sanders said. “Go out there, get completions, run the offense the right way, and that’s the main focus.”
Josh Allen Facing His Own Pressure
While Sanders is fighting to keep his hard-won starting job in Cleveland, Allen is facing a different kind of pressure in Buffalo. The team fired longtime head coach Sean McDermott after last year’s playoff loss to the Denver Broncos, putting pressure on Allen and new coach Brady to get over the hump and into the Super Bowl.
Longtime Bills center Mitch Morse said he believes the entire team is feeling the urgency.
“I wish I could tell you exactly what to expect, but I think this is a team that’s got a little bit of a chip on their shoulder and a burning desire to win because they know that the time is now,” Morse said, via SI.com.
Bills QB Josh Allen Gets Strong Message From Shedeur Sanders