The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima

Ken and Lima discuss Shedeur Sanders likely starting Sunday while Deshaun Watson’s concussion status stays murky, with Ken believing Watson wants to play and doesn’t want to get Wally Pipped. They disagree on whether another team would sign Watson as a bridge quarterback, and Ken says a big Sanders game would force a real quarterback conversation on Monday. Ken then turns to the Cavs, saying Kenny Atkinson could be gone after the Sixers and Knicks games, but that the veteran players deserve the blame after two coaches in a row.

Ken plays a Deebo and Joe clip of James Harrison and Joe Haden backing up his Monday take that the Browns brought emotion to a fight against a Steelers team that knew how to finish it. Ken and Lima say the loss is a learning moment for a young roster and for Jared Verse, who now has to be the veteran who handles business, and they hope it sparks a real rivalry. They also look ahead to the Saints, saying the Browns need a win by any means necessary and should lean on quick throws and short passes if Shedeur Sanders starts.

Ken and Lima debate whether a strong start against the Saints could cost Deshaun Watson his job, with Lima doubting it unless Watson stays stuck in the concussion protocol, and Ken giving Watson credit for hanging in after taking the blame for last week’s game. A caller argues Shedeur Sanders is media trained and simply doesn’t care what anyone thinks, but Ken disagrees, saying Sanders has rabbit ears and that the Browns would rather talk football than press conference answers. They also dig into the Jerry Jeudy clip about Sanders and wonder if it’s just his face.

Callers weigh in on Shedeur Sanders’ press conference as Brian in Bangkok argues his wealth and famous father explain the lack of humility and media polish. Ken and Lima push back that this isn’t about being media trained, playing clips of Malik Willis and Bryce Young handling the same routine questions about opposing defenses with ease, while another caller says Dillon Gabriel would have given a canned answer and the story would be over. Ken is also baffled that Sanders’ brother and photographer are attacking Mary Kay Cabot on Twitter, and wonders aloud how Sanders came off in his Combine interviews.

Ken and Lima argue that Shedeur Sanders isn’t really auditioning for the Browns but for the other 31 teams, and that his smiling “I’m maturing” answers in the press conference are another failed test after his draft slide. They play Tyler Shough’s professional, canned answer as the model for what a starting quarterback should say, and note that Browns fans piled on Sanders in the replies to the team’s social media post. Ken says he wants to believe in Sanders but leaves worried about Sunday, and Lima says the focus should be on beating the Saints instead of feuding with reporters.

Ken and Lima break down Shedeur Sanders’ press conference, where he deflected questions about the offense, the Saints defense and his new agent with smiles and “I’m maturing” answers. Ken says he wanted to feel better about Sanders starting Sunday but left worried, especially since he couldn’t beat out Deshaun Watson, while Lima calls the answers immature. A caller defends Sanders for not giving away anything to the Saints, but they argue a starting NFL quarterback has to be ready for any question, and they tease how Saints QB Tyler Shough handled the same media session.

Ken says Shedeur Sanders’ midweek press conference didn’t inspire confidence ahead of a possible Sunday start, especially his pushback on a basic question about how the offense fits him. Ken and Lima wonder why he meets routine quarterback questions with resistance and whether his time in Colorado left him unprepared for a normal back and forth with the media, while also trying to read Deshaun Watson’s concussion protocol and Todd Monken’s answers. Ken adds that if Sanders plays well and the Browns win, they will have to have a real quarterback conversation.

Ken and Lima admit that axing Kenny Atkinson wouldn’t fix a roster with no picks, no cap room, and stars who aren’t performing, as Donovan Mitchell has lost his burst, James Harden has been disastrous offensively, and Evan Mobley still hasn’t looked like a takeover superstar. Meleek Thomas is the lone bright spot, and Ken wonders whether the team is even worth paying to watch. They also marvel at Victor Wembanyama’s 52-point, 24-rebound night against Mobley’s 16 and 10, before Ken vents his nerves about both the Cavs and Shedeur Sanders heading into Sunday.

After the Cavs’ 124-116 loss in Oklahoma City, Ken is convinced the veteran players are mutinying, pointing to James Harden jawing with Kenny Atkinson and the lack of effort. He lays out a firing timeline if the team looks listless against the Sixers and Knicks this weekend, while Lima argues Atkinson has two games to save his job. Along the way, Ken and Lima rip the “second half, played good basketball” postgame talk, joke about DAZN passwords and VPNs, and go off on banana ball.