Shedeur Sanders pulled out the win in his starting debut for the Cleveland Browns, who downed the Las Vegas Raiders 24-10.
Sanders completed 11-of-20 passes for 209 yards with a touchdown and interception. He became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win a starting debut since 1995. He became the 42nd starting quarterback for Cleveland since 1999.
As he ran into the tunnel after the game, Sanders broke out his signature watch flex for the many Las Vegas fans cheering him on. The NFL shared the clip with a one-word caption.
“Legendary,” the post from the NFL read, along with a watch emoji.
Browns Noncommittal on Shedeur Sanders Being Starting QB
The Browns were noncommittal on whether Sanders would remain the starter moving forward. The team had said Dillon Gabriel — who missed the game with a concussion — would remain the starter when he returned.
“I’m not going to get into that,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Obviously, proud of him and proud of this offense and there are a ton of things to learn from, but I’m just going to worry about today.”
Gabriel went 1-5 in his starts this season. He’s passed for 937 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. What has been concerning with Gabriel is his lack of playmaking ability. He’s averaged just 5.1 yards per attempt — the lowest in the NFL. Sanders averaged 10.5 yards per attempt on Sunday against the Raiders.
Sanders acknowledged that his debut was far from perfect, pointing to the limited work he received leading up to his first start. But he also made no excuses.
“Everybody starts in different places. I didn’t get the summer reps. I wasn’t in the best situation for me to be prepared to go out there and execute. That’s how life is. Everybody is not in the best situation but there’s no excuse,” Sanders said. “You have to go out there and perform. There’s no choice, no question. Nobody cares if this was just one week of prep. A lot of people want to see me fail and that ain’t going to happen.”
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Impresses With Early Big Play
The biggest play of the afternoon for Sanders came in the first quarter. He scrambled out of pressure and found Isaiah Bond downfield on a 53-yard pass to set up the Browns’ first touchdown. Browns star Myles Garrett was caught on camera with wide eyes, shocked by the big play.
“He put it up there. I was like ‘Oh god, who is that even going to,’” Garrett said. “There aren’t a lot of guys in the league who can make that throw. That was a hell of a throw. I hope he can continue to grow and develop from making plays like that.”
Stefanski was equally complimentary of the play.
“Shedeur did well on the field today,” Stefanski said. “To make that play off-schedule when we were out-manned in protection, getting the ball downfield. There’s a lot he’s doing well and a lot he’s working on, which is what I appreciate about young guys that want to get better.”
The Browns face a stiffer test next week as they host the San Francisco 49ers.
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