Shedeur Sanders officially won his first start as the Cleveland Browns' quarterback, even if it wasn't pretty. The rookie fifth-round pick led the team to a 24-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders (2-9), going 11-for-20 with one touchdown and one interception. That was enough to convince the Browns that he's ready to face the San Francisco 49ers (8=4) in his home debut on Sunday.
While Sanders will certainly be under fire from the Niners' defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh, San Francisco has been hit hard by injuries on that side of the ball. According to 49ers.com, out this week are linebacker Tatum Bethune and defensive lineman Sam Okuayinonu. Defensive end Nick Bosa is on injured reserve with a torn ACL, as is linebacker Fred Warner, who is sidelined with an ankle injury.
MORE: Shedeur Sanders Draws Strong Praise From 49ers DC Robert Saleh Before Week 13
That should give Sanders and the Browns (3-8) some room to operate on offense against a 49ers franchise that has featured one of the league's most dominant defenses in recent years. Cleveland is currently 31st in total yards per game, averaging 258.5, while they rank 29th in scoring with 16.2 points per game.
Sanders knows he must prove himself vs. 49ers
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While Sanders may be getting another start, he insists he isn't in the rocking chair as the team's number-one signal caller. He knows that he must continue to improve, and this week vs San Francisco will be different.
"I'm definitely not comfortable, though, so that's first and foremost that I have another opportunity to go out there," Sanders said on Wednesday, acccording to ESPN. "But in life, you got to understand how quickly things come or how long it comes, it could be taken at any point in time."
The 49ers will enter the contest ranked 21st in the NFL in yards per game, averaging 342.7, while also allowing 4,112 yards in 2025 (15th). This comes after they were 11th in opponent points per game (25.6) and 8th in total defense in 2024.