Sanders, in his first start (and his first week of practice reps with the first team) looked much better than he did in his first NFL snaps off the bench last week. He threw his first touchdown pass and helped the Browns beat a horrible Raiders team 24-10. Sanders was 11 of 20 for 209 yards, one touchdown and one interception. It wasn’t very good, but it was good enough to help Cleveland beat the Raiders. It was perfectly reasonable for a fifth-round pick to make his first career start.
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It was a notable victory in Browns history. Since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999, quarterbacks who made their first career starts with Cleveland have gone 0-17. Sanders broke that ridiculous streak.
Sanders has received more attention as a rookie than perhaps any fifth-round pick before him. He was famous before he was in the NFL, thanks to his Hall of Fame father Deion (who was on hand in Las Vegas to witness his son’s first start) and his flashy career at the University of Colorado.
Now, after Sanders is off to a solid first start in the NFL, there’s actually something tangible to talk about.
Shedeur Sanders much better in the second game
In Week 11, Sanders had to enter the game when starter Dillon Gabriel was ruled out with a concussion. It was a difficult situation for him and it showed in his production. Sanders went 4 for 16 in his first NFL action. He was much better than that against the Raiders.
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In the first half he completed 7 of 11 for 127 yards. He connected on a nice 52-yard pass downfield to fellow rookie Isaiah Bond, setting up a touchdown. Sanders threw a bad interception in the first half, but only had one sack and didn’t make many other mistakes.
There was a big difference between Sanders, who had a full week of practice reps, and coming off the bench cold last week. He seemed more confident and in control, and the results were much better.
Cleveland led 14-3 at halftime. It was as good as the Browns have looked all season.
The second half wasn’t as good for the offense, but Cleveland’s defense made sure that wasn’t a problem.
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Sanders scores his first NFL touchdown
The Browns have a tremendous defense, one that is wasted most weeks when the offense struggles. Against the Raiders, the defensive line had a field day.
Myles Garrett set a new franchise record with his 17th sack of the season, surpassing his own record. Garrett had three sacks, giving him 18 on the season. He needs five sacks in Cleveland’s last six games to break the NFL single-season record. Garrett and the rest of the Browns front overwhelmed a poor Raiders offensive line. Geno Smith rarely had time to throw.
The Browns’ lead never seemed to be in jeopardy when the offense finally made a big play. Sanders threw a short pass to Dylan Sampson and Sampson did the rest, outrunning the Raiders defense for a 66-yard score. It was Sanders’ first career touchdown pass and gave the Browns a 24-3 lead.
The Browns said Gabriel would have started Sunday if he had cleared the concussion protocol, so presumably Sanders’ time as a starter will be short-lived. But he made a very good impression in his first outing, even if it’s unclear when his next outing will be.