Shedeur Sanders' approach will stall Colorado’s chances of a successful season

Buffs QB needs to take more accountability for the lackluster offensive attack

Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

When the Colorado Buffaloes beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers last season it was bittersweet. Coach Prime’s squad got the much-needed victory, but Shedeur Sanders had a rough afternoon being sacked seven times. In that matchup, Sanders threw the ball 42 times completing 31 passes for 393 yards and two touchdowns. Add on to that, the running attack was invisible in that matchup with the Buffs rushing the ball 33 times for 58 yards with two rushing touchdowns. Saturday night's outcome wasn’t the same for the Buffs because the Huskers had an answer at the quarterback position with Dylan Raiola, who threw for 185 yards and a touchdown with no sacks in the game.  

Raiola and Sanders battled in Saturday's matchup as Raiola's team played for him. When the head coach holds the playing future of his players in his hands and continues to say we have to find a way to establish a running game but it never happens, what should that tell the Buffs fans about their game plan?  When CU tries to run the ball with a four receiver set and no tight end on the side of the ball the play is going or not, what do you expect when the other team has speed and their linebackers can play five yards off the line of scrimmage to stop the play in the backfield? 

Sanders' frustration concerning the outcome of the game isn’t a good look for him. Asking how many times Raiola was touched, when you can run the ball that opens up the pass, and you have to understand what your team is good at, isn’t the mark of good leadership. So why would we keep running the ball when it’s a must get situation that you must get it. He would rather go down swinging because he knows he can throw the best punch.   

There is something in that statement that Sanders may want to rethink now that his teammates have watched his responses during the postgame conference and realize there is no “I” in team. The world knows how well CU’s “Grown” QB can throw a football to receivers on the field.  If this was a seven-on-seven conference that kind of statement would be overlooked, but saying the team isn’t good rushing the ball with two transfer running backs recruited from Power 5 programs to help balance the offensive scheme is terrible to hear. Especially when the coach says he knows talent and brought them in the building. In two games, the Buffs have rushed the ball 55 times for 75 yards. At some point, it’s no longer about talent and we have to talk about schemes.   

However, this isn’t about play calling more than the fact that Sanders should hold himself accountable for what plays are called on the field. He is given the green light to check out of a play when he desires. If Sanders continues to throw the team under the bus after every game each week, he will be pulled from the game earlier than two minutes left to go from all of the sacks he will take throughout this season.  

Colorado will try to regroup against Colorado State on the road in Fort Collins. The latest edition of the Rocky Mountain Showdown on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET will be on CBS.