Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will remember his first career NFL start fondly — a 24-10 road win over the Las Vegas Raiders that snapped a three-game losing streak.
Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback in 30 years to win in his first career start. First-time starters had been 0-17, while rookies were 0-13. Eric Zeier in 1995 was the last Browns rookie QB to win his debut.
Sanders, filling in for injured starter Dillon Gabriel, electrified the Browns faithful late in the first quarter. On a third-and-8 from their own 45-yard line, Sanders beat a blitz by rolling out to his right and tossing a 52-yard dime to fellow rookie Isaiah Bond. It was the longest pass play for the Browns this season. With his father, Deion Sanders, watching from a suite, Shedeur Sanders completed 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
The Browns (3-8) won for the first time since a 31-6 home win against the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 19. Cleveland’s defense, meanwhile, assembled its best performance since Nov. 5, 2023, when the Browns shut out the Arizona Cardinals in a 27-0 home win.
The Raiders (2-9) lost their fifth straight game and ninth in their past 10. Raiders quarterback Geno Smith had a rough day, getting booed by his home fans after each of Las Vegas’ first three offensive series. Smith completed 30 of 44 passes for 285 yards and one touchdown, with most of his statistical production coming after the Browns built a 24-3 lead. Smith was sacked a career-high 10 times.
Sanders shows flashes of potential
The buildup was all about Sanders. The game was not really about him, but Sanders is the first Browns rookie to win his NFL starting debut in 30 years. The Browns’ defensive line dominated, and Sanders was taken off the field for both of Quinshon Judkins’ touchdown runs from the team’s jumbo wildcat package. The asks of Sanders from his coaches were simple and rather obvious: Take the easy ones, don’t take too many sacks, and don’t throw it into traffic.
Sanders hit one highlight-reel pass, the floating 52-yarder on the run to Bond to set up Judkins’ second touchdown run. In the fourth quarter, he threw a swing pass to Dylan Sampson that Sampson turned into a 66-yard touchdown, the first TD pass of Sanders’ career. Beyond that, Sanders threw an interception and had several throws he’d like back, but he maintained his composure, and the Browns snapped their losing streak. It was a fine debut, not a stellar one, and we wait to see what Kevin Stefanski decides about giving Sanders another start. — Zac Jackson, Browns beat writer
Cleveland defense overwhelms hapless Raiders
The Raiders are just bad, and their offensive line got steamrolled. But Cleveland’s defense has been a bully all season, and in what was really a forgettable and sloppy game, it was again the best and most dominant unit on the field. Myles Garrett is at 18 sacks for the season, a career high, and he drew plenty of attention from Las Vegas blockers. But the interior pass rush led by Maliek Collins was impactful from the beginning, and Smith was battered from the first drive. The home fans booed Smith all day, too, but there were multiple times that the pass rush gave Smith no realistic chance to succeed. Garrett now has 13 sacks over his last four games and is closing in on the NFL’s single-season record of 22.5. — Jackson