Shedeur Sanders showed he’s wise beyond his years with just a few words after the Browns beat the Raiders
The Browns’ rookie quarterback took the right approach after his first win.
Sunday marked the third starting quarterback that the Cleveland Browns have used this season, and Shedeur Sanders made the most of his first start against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Sanders started in place of the injured Dillon Gabriel and became the first Browns rookie since 1995 to win his debut start. As a result, the Browns are now 3-8 on the season, earning their first victory since Oct. 19 against the Miami Dolphins. Sanders’ first taste of NFL action didn’t go well when he was thrown in against the Ravens, but he showed much more potential by connecting on multiple explosive plays against the Raiders.
Shedeur Sanders makes major statement after first NFL win
“I was a 5th-round pick. I got skipped by everybody at least five times. It just comes with the game,” Sanders said after the game. “I’m just thankful for where I am now. I still got an opportunity to play, so why could I be mad? We’re playing for the love of the game.”
That is exactly the mentality you want to see from a rookie quarterback, no matter where they were selected in the draft. Sanders is simply grateful for the opportunity, and that mindset helped him secure his first NFL win. He did throw one interception to a pass rusher who dropped into coverage, but he was otherwise solid against the Raiders. Sanders completed 11-of-20 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown—the score coming on a 66-yard screen to rookie RB Dylan Sampson that sealed the game in the second half.
Cleveland’s defense was masterful against the Raiders, sacking Geno Smith 10 times, just one shy of the franchise record. Myles Garrett had three of those sacks, and the defense was the primary reason the Browns came out on top. Still, the offense did its part, and the Browns had a 200-yard passer for the first time since Week 6 against the Patriots, which was Gabriel’s only game over 200 yards this season.
The Browns drafted Sanders in the fifth round after selecting Gabriel in the third, and it was expected that both rookies would see the field this season as part of the evaluation process. Sanders played better than a typical fifth-round rookie for most of Sunday’s game, and that’s a win for Cleveland. His postgame approach was professional, and now the attention shifts to Kevin Stefanski’s decision on who will start for the Browns moving forward.
Cleveland Browns News
Kevin Stefanski dodged the big question around Shedeur Sanders after he helped the Browns to a win over the Raiders
A win for the rookie quarterback in his first NFL start on the road for the Browns.
