Shedeur Sanders got his first start for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon vs the Las Vegas Raiders, and he did not disappoint.
The Browns were 2-8 coming into this game and had not won a road game this season and dating back to September 15th, Week 2 of last year. It is safe to say that Cleveland has not been road warriors over the past two seasons.
But that was exactly what Shedeur accomplished in his first start of his career as the Browns won 24-10, also snapping the 0-17 record that Browns quarterbacks had in their first career start dating back to 1995.
That wasn’t the only record that Shedeur broke, though, as per ESPN Research, Shedeur’s 10.5 yards per attempt was the most for a quarterback in the first career start since 2022 (Jarrett Stidham, 10.7). The 10.5 yards was also the highest number by a Browns quarterback since 2005 (Charlie Fry, 11.3).
Shedeur finished the day with 209 yards on just 11 completions, highlighted by the 52-yard throw on the run to Isaiah Bond to set up the Browns’ second touchdown. Shedeur’s first touchdown pass came on a swing pass to Dylan Sampson, where the blocking was great, clearing a path for Sampson to run 66 yards for a score.
After the game, Shedeur had some inspiring quotes.
“That’s how life is. Everybody’s not in the best situation, but it’s no excuse. You’ve gotta go out there and perform.”
Leading up to this start, it was learned that Shedeur was preparing for this start like a final exam, an exam that he could not fail. It seems like Shedeur was ready and completely prepared for this start; many times, he looked calm, cool, and collected in the pocket. It also showed because he was only sacked once in this game.
Shedeur’s 52-yard completion to Bond was also the Browns’ longest completion by air yards (42) since 2023.
“I’m who they’ve been looking for,” is also a comment that Shedeur made regarding the Browns quarterback struggles, and he is making his case. To go on the road, play a very solid game, and get the win, it is going to be hard to deny Shedeur the starting job.
He did exactly what he needed to do in this game to make head coach Kevin Stefanski have a tough decision going into Week 13, when they prepare to host the San Francisco 49ers. We will have to wait for Stefanksi’s decision later on.
Be the first to comment