The Cleveland Browns found themselves in the winner’s circle for just the third time in the 2025 season on Sunday, November 23, and rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders was a primary reason why.
Sanders completed 11-of-20 pass attempts for 209 yards, one TD and one INT. He also opened up the field for the Browns offense in ways that have mostly eluded fellow rookie signal-caller Dillon Gabriel, as Sanders completed three different passes that went for 66 yards, 52 yards and 39 yards, respectively.
After the game, Sanders was as confident as one might expect and sent a strong message to all of his doubters and detractors.
“Everybody starts in different places … but it’s no excuse,” Sanders said. “You gotta go out there and perform. There’s no choice, There’s no question. Nobody cares of this was one week of prep. Who cares? A lot of people wanna see me fail, and it ain’t gonna happen.”
Shedeur Sanders Has Put Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski in Tough Spot With Regards to Dillon Gabriel
GettyCleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski must decide between Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski wouldn’t confirm whether Sanders will start next week when Cleveland hosts the San Francisco 49ers.
If Gabriel remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol, Stefanski won’t have to make the decision and can kick the can down the road at least another week. However, if Gabriel comes back healthy, the Browns will have to decide whether to put the third-round rookie back into the starting lineup after a 1-5 start to his career or roll with Sanders, who is now 1-0 as a professional quarterback.
It is clear that the majority of fans prefer that Sanders continue playing in what is already a lost season, and he performed well enough on Sunday in Las Vegas to put real pressure on Cleveland’s decision-makers if Gabriel is, in fact, healthy enough to play next weekend.
Stefanski said following last week’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens that he would go back to Gabriel when he was healthy enough, but Sanders has since clearly thrown a wrench into that plan.
Shedeur Sanders Speaking as Though He Will Continue to Start for Browns Moving Forward
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders sounds like he expects to remain the starter after leading the team to a win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
For his part, Sanders spoke during the postgame like the team’s starting quarterback moving forward.
“Being a backup and everything, sometimes you have to compromise your personality and change the way you do things to never step on anybody’s toes. So the fact that I got an opportunity and I was able to show the organization, show everybody, who I really am — that was truly exciting,” Sanders said. “I’m thankful to be back where I am.”
Cleveland is positioned to potentially reel off a few consecutive victories. If the team can get past the 49ers next week, the Browns will then host the one-win Tennessee Titans on December 7 for a game in which Cleveland is almost certain to be favored.
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