Whether you were looking for reasons to love Shedeur Sanders or to doubt him, the rookie quarterback’s starting debut Sunday had something for everyone.
But here’s the fairest assessment: No one’s career trajectory should ever be judged by his first start. The Cleveland Browns’ fifth-round draft pick finished the day 11-of-20 passing for 209 yards, one touchdown and one interception during a 24-10 victory in Las Vegas. He did enough to help them beat the reeling Raiders, but the Browns also delivered a perfectly complementary game plan to lift their rookie, which is how it should be under the circumstances.
“I would definitely play it out for a while and see what you have with him,” said a rival executive, who was granted anonymity so he could speak openly.
That appears to be what the Browns intend to do, as on Monday, coach Kevin Stefanski named Sanders the Week 13 starter.
Sanders entered Sunday’s game with minimal starting reps in practice, the harsh reality of life at the bottom of the QB depth chart in the NFL. But after trading Joe Flacco earlier this season and losing rookie third-rounder Dillon Gabriel last week to a concussion, the Browns vaulted Sanders to the No. 1 spot to prep for the Raiders.
And to be expected, Stefanski and his staff pared down the game plan to protect Sanders. He primarily had one read before checking it down or scrambling to extend the play. Or, if the Browns wanted to give Sanders additional options, they rolled him out of the pocket, with mixed success.
Sanders completed 11 passes, including three screens for 76 yards and a touchdown and three checkdowns for 14 yards. He also hit two easy throws on his first read for 11 yards, struck twice on longer balls for 91 yards and made a terrific decision to hit tight end Harold Fannin Jr. for 17 yards on a hot route.
“He looked fine, like he’s got a chance (to be a starter),” another executive said. “He made a couple of nice plays and throws; he also had a few rookie mistakes.”
Sanders’ interception was a classic rookie miscue, as he misread defensive end Charles Snowden’s zone drop into his checkdown throw. But it was costly, as it gifted three points to the Raiders. Sanders also prematurely scrambled into an unnecessary sack and got away with a lazy throw to the right flat for a 7-yard loss, though safety Jamal Adams’ personal foul cleaned up that mess. Those were his three most egregious mistakes.
Sanders also threw it away three times, tried two low-percentage deep shots on long-yardage situations, including one when wideout Cedrick Tillman stopped his route, and had three more incompletions when the coverage was better than the route.
“I’ll give him credit,” the second executive said. “He’s tough, just like he was in college.”
The Browns predictably kept on the training wheels for Sanders’ first possession. He opened with a 2-yard screen to Fannin to set up third-and-8, and the Browns schemed an easy first-read completion on the next play, although it was short of the sticks.
After running back Quinshon Judkins’ two-play touchdown drive put the Browns ahead 7-0, their third possession was a disaster. Sanders, on just his third dropback, nervously bounced out of a clean pocket to take a sack on second-and-13. So on third-and-16, a predetermined deep bid for Jerry Jeudy had no chance of a completion.
Sanders opened his fourth possession with one of his best plays. He immediately recognized pressure off Fannin’s delayed release, then hit the tight end on a hot route for 17 yards. That was an NFL-caliber play. After a bad play across the board on second-and-8 — quick pressure with All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby clogging up the checkdown to Fannin — Sanders delivered his marquee moment on third down. He ducked away from a free blitzer, rolled right and utilized perfect footwork to uncork a 52-yarder to receiver Isaiah Bond. Judkins made it 14-0 on the next play.
“That was a hell of a throw.”
Myles Garrett on Shedeur’s deep ball to Isaiah Bond. pic.twitter.com/gnwGO7BiwT
— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2025
Sanders’ lone pick occurred on the opening play of their fifth possession, but he was undeterred from there. After another ugly first-down run set up second-and-16, Sanders made an easy one-read throw to Tillman for 5 yards to set up third-and-11. He was pressured from the pocket and probably could have taken an underneath throw short of the sticks but instead threw it away. And with a 14-3 lead midway through the second quarter and the Browns’ defense off to a dominant start, Sanders’ overly cautious approach was the right strategy in that situation.
Sanders deserved better on his sixth drive, as he rolled right to allow Jeudy enough time to get wide open behind a short wall of defenders who had adjusted to Sanders’ high-percentage throws. Sanders and Jeudy connected for 39 yards, but Jeudy lost a fumble in field-goal range.
Sanders’ only regrettable miss, albeit on a tougher throw, occurred in the third quarter when he rolled left and had Tillman escaping behind the defense. Later that quarter, Sanders made another positive play from his own goal line, staying composed enough to hit Fannin for a 15-yard checkdown on third-and-12.
Overall, the deep ball came as advertised, even in limited opportunities. Sanders’ composure also improved throughout the game, which likely played into his postgame excitement. Sure, it might come across as off-putting to some to hear Sanders focus so much on himself, his journey and his haters after a win, but it should be dually understandable to see a 23-year-old revel in success after he’s been subjected to disproportionate amounts of criticism over the past year.
“I like his confidence,” the first executive said. “It doesn’t turn me off at all.”
There are still far too many variables at play to reach any long-term prognostications from a singular start. First, how much can Sanders truly grasp the totality of the offense at a point in the season when the team is wholly focused on game plans over installations?
And for a Browns offense lacking talent — ranked 31st in points and 30th in yards — what would be any quarterback’s ceiling over the next six weeks in Cleveland? Consider how often the Kansas City Chiefs’ skill players have been lambasted this season, and they’re still far more accomplished than the group with the Browns.
The Raiders were the great equalizer. They staked the Browns to an early 14-0 lead and rarely threatened the rest of the way. And the offense was bad enough that the Raiders fired coordinator Chip Kelly by the end of the night. The Browns managed Sanders’ workload because it was the smartest way to win the game.
Sanders did enough to earn a second start this week at home against the San Francisco 49ers, and he’ll be eagerly motivated in two weeks against the Tennessee Titans and No. 1 pick Cam Ward, who has gotten close with Sanders over the years.
Sanders, a polarizing figure among fans, can rally his supporters with the highlight of his deep ball to Bond and a handful of other nifty plays from his debut. His detractors will laugh at the interception, the coverage sack and the one-read-and-go types of plays.
But for the fair and practical, Sanders handled his business and became the first Browns rookie QB in 30 years to win his debut. To be the first Browns QB to do something positive after a decades-long stretch of barren production, well, that has to count for something.
Quick hitters
Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams unleashed a “who in the world is going to stop these guys?” type of performance Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Don’t rush to crown a Super Bowl champion before Thanksgiving, but Stafford might have become the first QB this season to pad his lead in the MVP race, which has otherwise been more about the flavor of the week.
Drake Maye had the shanks going early in the New England Patriots’ win in Cincinnati, and it was a weird game overall. But Maye recovered nicely to establish control of the flow of the game despite chaos raining around him on the injury front. Ignore the subpar opponent, especially on defense, because that was a nice glimpse into Maye’s intangibles.
Davis Mills has completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 719 yards, five touchdowns and one interception in three consecutive wins, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Titans and Buffalo Bills. And those were his first starts since 2022. He’s under contract with the Houston Texans through 2026, so this might be a moot point, but Mills could be an intriguing placeholder at the position for another team with a QB-friendly system.