Shedeur Sanders wins first NFL start, his performance should force a conversation

Jason Jones

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Shedeur Sanders wins first NFL start, his performance should force a conversation image

Shedeur Sanders on Sunday led the Cleveland Browns to a 24-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in his first NFL start. Before the day began, Sanders had a massive amount of support coming from multiple areas.

Obviously, his fanbase that predates his time with the Browns was ready for this moment. As it played out, a large contingent of established Browns fans was also ready to see what the former Colorado Buffalo could do given how the season has progressed.

Last week versus the Ravens, Shedeur had to enter the game in relief of Dillon Gabriel who entered concussion protocol at halftime. Coming off the bench, Sanders had a less-than-ideal day in the box score but had a few moments that led to optimism for the Raiders game.

Sunday in Las Vegas was a different story. It was not as good as Sanders’ performance against TCU in 2023 when he threw 510 yards, four touchdowns, on 81% and a 200 rating. While it was not that, Sanders did exactly what he needed to do. Run the offense, be efficient, make sound decisions and if there’s an opening, take the shot.

The result of which was a good, but not great offensive performance where the defense controlled much of the game. The highs and lows were significant and the latter of which was reminiscent of his exploits in Colorado.

In the second quarter, just trying to get the ball to Jerry Jeudy for a short gain, Sanders seemed to believe the linebacker was headed out into the flat. He was not, cut off the route and intercepted the pass. The bad news is that’s a ‘don’t throw it’ situation. The good news is that it is an easy correction and a great coaching opportunity.

The high point moment came in the first quarter. The Raiders blitzed Sanders flushing him out to his right. Colorado fans might remember a similar play involving Wester vs. Baylor. A moment before three converging defenders hit Sanders, he threw the ball dropping it in the cradle for fellow rookie Isaiah Bond who was downed just shy of the goal line. A 53-yard pass play that is not only the best play of this game, but it’s likely the best pass play the Browns have had all season.

Shedeur was not NFL ready from day one but showed progress

One of the biggest areas of contention was the belief that Sanders was NFL ready before getting drafted vs the realization that there were things he did not do in Colorado. Aspect he would need to improve to be a successful NFL quarterback. On Sunday, Sanders put some of that progress on display.

In one half of football against the Ravens, Sanders had three sacks for -27 yards. Against the Raiders, Sanders was sacked once. For a total loss of -3 yards. Multiple times during the game, the announce team mentioned Sanders stepping up in the pocket as opposed to drifting back and creating a pocket depth issue.

There was one play that had Sanders spinning out of pressure, but unlike the Rams preseason game and the second half against the Ravens he wasn’t scrambling back to throw. He was scrambling back to find a lane to get back to the line of scrimmage and minimize the lost yardage, illustrating a different motivation in that situation. Minimize loss, live to play the next down.

Colorado rarely uses a tight end as an offensive weapon. In Cleveland, they not only use tight ends as weapons, but they also run 12-peronnel and pass plays to them in ways that should have been relatively foreign to Sanders. Rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr had four catches in this game. Three of which came in timely situations.

Sanders’ performance should force a conversation

The hard truth about this game is it proved one thing. With only four days to practice with the starting unit, only one week of a game plan created with Sanders in mind, and without a full green light to throw it deep and often, Sanders was simply more effective. Sanders moved the offense in one game better than fellow rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel had in the previous seven weeks.

It took one quarter for Sanders to have a completion that is arguably the best pass play of the season. It took one half for viewers to realize there are chunk plays to be had. Possibly the best factor that demands consideration is the rest of the team played better with Sanders.

Fellow rookies Mason Graham and Carson Schlesinger had big stops in critical moments. There was an energy and an attitude that had been missing for weeks. Multiple receivers fighting for extra yards. They didn’t play like a team that only had two wins heading into week 12.

Shedeur Sanders “gives the Cleveland Browns the best chance to win”, something Stefanski said throughout the Watson experiment. Sanders earned something on Sunday. Not the keys to car. Not yet. He showed he should start, not only next week, but likely the rest of the season. If Sanders does that, he will have seven weeks as the starter. The same number of weeks Gabriel was the starter prior to his concussion.

The one thing that was always going to be true about the path he has taken, that his fans disliked. When he got his opportunity and when he shined, you can never say he didn’t earn it.

The Browns and their coaching staff have not as of yet made any statements about who will start next week vs the 49ers. However, known media personnel in Cleveland that cover the Browns have already made claims that Sanders needs to keep starting. Maybe from here on out.

“I thought it was a big step forward," said Adam the Bull of 92.3 the Fan in Cleveland and UCSS. "The numbers don’t blow you away, but if you watched the game, it was a good, solid performance for a guy making his first NFL start. "And it would be ludicrous in my mind to start Dillon Gabriel next week.”

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