Bengals may see drastic change to Week 1 plans after Browns preseason game

We're officially less than a month from the Cincinnati Bengals' regular-season opener in Cleveland on Sept. 7, and while it's unclear who'll be the Browns' counterpart to MVP-caliber quarterback Joe Burrow, the Browns will be heavy home underdogs regardless.

But the whole atmosphere and complexion of that critical AFC North matchup could change drastically now that we've seen a certain rookie QB perform well in his NFL debut.

You know who I'm talking about. That "LEGENDARY" young man who tumbled to the fifth round of the draft, and is the son of one of the greatest football players to ever live. Well, when it comes to that all-caps personal slogan and that aforementioned pedigree, Shedeur Sanders lived up to the hype on Friday night.

Shedeur Sanders states his case to duel with Joe Burrow in Browns-Bengals Week 1 matchup

At face value, Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski would prefer not to throw a rookie Day 3 draftee into the fire against a Bengals team led by an elite offense that will do everything in its power not to start another season super slow.

Consider the Browns' alternatives, though. Many reports out of training camp indicated that Sanders' draft classmate, third-rounder Dillon Gabriel, was struggling mightily at practice.

Gabriel is nursing a hamstring injury — as is Kenny Pickett, the Steelers' former first-round pick who Clevelnad traded for this offseason.

While there's some exhibition action left yet for Gabriel and Pickett to make an impression in a game situation, what Sanders did on Friday was undeniable. Of course there were some throws and decisions he'd want back. That doesn't take away from the highlight-reel moments he strung together that translate to real NFL Sundays.

Ability to make defenses who play man coverage pay with a first-down scramble on 3rd and long? Check.

Exceptional touch and knack for layering the ball, with enough velocity to fit it into a tight red-zone window for a touchdown? Check.

The poise to stay calm in the pocket, slide off your spot, get your feet planted and deliver a slightly off-platform stride for another TD? Check.

Haven't we seen enough from Pickett to this point in his career to know he ain't it? And if camp was any sign of things to come, I can't imagine Gabriel faring better than Shedeur did against the Panthers.

The Browns' QB options should essentially boil down to either the electricity and unknown of Shedeur, or a 40-year-old retread in Joe Flacco. Quick not for nothing aside: this made me laugh out loud very hard:

Not to talk down on the wily vet Flacco. He had something of a renaissance in leading Cleveland to the playoffs two seasons ago. However, let's just say that he doesn't move the needle anywhere near as much as Shedeur Sanders does.

One factor that's often overlooked about that magical Flacco run: He threw a lot of interceptions, including two in a 45-14 loss in Houston on Wild Card Weekend.

If there's one thing Shedeur was known for during his highly efficient college career, it was keeping the ball out of harm's way. Part of me as a Bengals fan is manifesting that the Browns actually trot out a rookie fifth-round QB to start in Week 1. Another part of me is a little concerned.

Say Shedeur starts, and Cleveland is more inclined to lean on its rushing attack to keep Burrow and Co. off the field and shorten the game. Then the crowd gets into it. Again, we can all acknowledge that Shedeur would bring more juice to the stadium than Flacco. That's just a fact.

For some reason, the Browns are always a tough divisional foe. Burrow has a losing 3-5 mark against them in his career. And again, Cincinnati has this weird curse of starting slow every season over the last four years. No real film on Shedeur in the NFL. I hate to say it. I'm telling you. This could get gnarly — especially if the Bengals don't show some real improvement on defense very soon.

I'd almost prefer Flacco to face the Bengals. He has quite the penchant to turn it over and doesn't have Shedeur's mobility to escape pressure. You know, if pressure ever arrives. Because Cincinnatirefuses to extend Trey Hendrickson, and he is quite literally almost the entire pass rush.

To be perfectly honest, I expect the Browns to do the bland, boring thing and give Flacco the Week 1 starting nod. Shedeur was a fourth-stringer on the team's first depth chart after all.

Still, I think Shedeur made Cleveland's QB dilemma far more interesting. Even though this was a mere preseason game, Shedeur showed he more than belonged on an NFL field. That sure counts for something — and could alter the Bengals' plans for Week 1 in a huge way.

More Bengals News and Analysis