-
Daniel Oyefusi
las vegas-like shadure sanders While leaving the field at the Allegiant Stadium, he stopped for a moment to enjoy the remaining fans who were waiting for him in the visitors’ tunnel.
Sanders slowly raised his left wrist and celebrated his trademark watch, prompting cheers. He then formed a heart with his hands before walking through the tunnel, where he met his father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, for a post-game hug.
In his first NFL start on Sunday, Sanders had an impressive performance, completing 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the Browns’ 24–10 win over the Raiders.
Sanders, who became the 42nd quarterback to start for the Browns since 1999, also became the first Cleveland quarterback to win his first NFL start since Eric Zier in 1995. The win ended a 17-game losing streak for the Browns in games with the quarterback making his first career start. This was the longest streak by any franchise since 1950, when QB starts were first recorded.
The win also snapped a 13-game losing streak for the Browns, which was the longest active streak in the NFL and their second-longest streak in franchise history.
After the game, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski would not commit to the starting quarterback for next Sunday’s home game. san francisco 49ersStefanski previously said newbie dillon gabriel He will return to the role once he is cleared of the NFL’s concussion protocols. Gabriel was inactive on Sunday but returned to practice in a limited capacity on Friday.
Stefanski said after Friday’s practice that Gabriel has not yet cleared concussion protocol.
“I’m not going to get involved in that,” Stefanski said. “Obviously proud [Sanders]I’m proud of this offense, and there are a lot of things to learn from it, But I’ll be worried about today,”
When later asked about the process of naming the starting quarterback, Stefanski said, “I always take my time and do what’s best for the football team.”
It was a night-and-night performance for Sanders, who made his NFL debut in the second half of the Browns’ Week 11 game. Baltimore Ravens Gabriel was ruled out for the remainder of the game after being checked for an injury at halftime. In a 23–16 home loss to Baltimore, Sanders completed 4 of 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception.
Stefanski named Sanders the starter on Wednesday. With a game plan tailored to him and a week of practice reps with the first-team offense – his first since being drafted by the Browns in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft – Sanders showed more comfort a week after his debut. He was sacked only once after taking a pair of sacks in the second half against the Ravens.
“Everyone starts out in different places, and like I said, just because I didn’t get summer reps, just because I wasn’t in the best position to go out there and be ready to execute from a summer standpoint, that’s life,” Sanders said. “Not everyone is in the best condition, but that’s no excuse. You have to go out there and perform. There are no options and no questions.
“Nobody cares if it was a week of preparation. Who cares? A lot of people want to see me fail, and that’s not going to happen.”
It didn’t take long for Sanders to demonstrate the downfield accuracy and playmaking for which he became known during a record-setting college career at Jackson State and Colorado.
On the Browns’ fourth drive, Sanders escaped a Raiders attack on third-and-eight and completed a 52-yard pass to the rookie wide receiver. isaiah bondsThe completion was the longest pass play of the season for the Browns at the time, The pass set up another rookie running back quinshawn judkins‘ Two touchdown runs gave Cleveland a 14–0 lead early in the second quarter.
“There aren’t a lot of guys in the league who can make those throws,” the defensive end said. miles garrettWhose three sacks on Sunday gave him a career-high 18 this season and broke his previous franchise record. Garrett is now five sacks away from breaking the NFL single-season record shared by Michael Strahan TJ Watt,
“So, that was a huge throw,” Garrett said. “I hope he can continue to develop by making plays like this and take it from there.”
Sanders later threw his first NFL touchdown in the fourth quarter on a screen pass to rookie running back dylan sampson It took 66 yards to the end zone, giving the Browns a 24–3 lead.
“I think you saw a lot of what good things Shedeur did on the field today,” Stefanski said. “I thought about making it [completion to Bond] When we were out, off-schedule [in] Safety, get the ball down the field. So, there’s a lot he’s doing well, and there’s a lot he’s working on, that’s what I appreciate about young guys who want to get better.”
Sanders, the 144th pick in the draft, began his NFL career in Cleveland as the No. 4 quarterback behind Gabriel, a third-round pick, as well as the Giants. Joe Flacco And kenny pickettSanders began the regular season as the No, 3 QB – Pickett was traded to the Raiders before the roster cut deadline – and was moved into the backup role after the Browns traded Flacco, cincinnati bengals On 7th October.
Gabriel’s injury ultimately opened the door for Sanders to make his first start – an opportunity he told CBS Sports in a pregame interview he hoped to use to show the Browns “I’m what they were looking for.”
“I’m just grateful to be here, to get a chance, to be able to go out there and play, to go out there and start,” Sanders said. “You don’t know how surreal that feeling is, knowing that you have the responsibility of the Browns organization on your shoulders, all the fans, everyone here debating with each other online and everything.
“Everyone has their differences about me. It is what it is, but I’m just grateful that I’m here today in front of all of you, and hopefully we’ve cleared some things up. But there’s a long way to go. It’s allowing me to grow, and I know that’s the only way out and the only way up is up.”
