Shedeur Sanders starting vs. 49ers: What this means going forward for Browns

Jarrett Bailey

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Shedeur Sanders starting vs. 49ers: What this means going forward for Browns image

The Cleveland Browns earned their third win of the season in Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders in a 24-10 victory. The win marked the first of the career for Shedeur Sanders, who became the first Browns quarterback since their resurrection in 1999 to win his first career start.

Sanders finished the game going 11-of-20 for 209 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. And despite Dillon Gabriel being the starter before getting injured, that is no longer the case. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has announced that Gabriel has cleared concussion protocol, but Sanders will remain the starter in Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers.

In terms of what this means for both quarterbacks, Sanders has the chance to show he can be the guy long-term. If he puts together quality performances over the last month and a half of the season, then perhaps the Browns get a little less eager to take a quarterback in the first round. Of course, if he doesn't blow them away, which, frankly speaking, he didn't do anything to do so in Week 12, then the Browns will remain in the market for one of the top quarterbacks in the draft.

The Browns face multiple defenses that can be taken advantage of. To start, the 49ers rank 25th in defensive EPA per play. After that, they face the Tennessee Titans, who rank 28th in that same category. Of their remaining opponents, the team with the best defensive EPA per play is the Buffalo Bills, who rank 21st.

For Gabriel, it's highly unlikely he will be a starter in the NFL. However, he has shown he can be a quality backup that comes in and can keep things afloat if he gets better weapons around him. The Oregon product is 1-5 on the season with seven touchdowns to two interceptions. 

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