Las Vegas, NV — One week of real preparation made quite a difference for Shedeur Sanders. So did facing the struggling Las Vegas Raiders.
In his first-ever regular-season start — and after his first full week running with Cleveland’s first team — Sanders looked nothing like the rookie who stumbled off the bench a week ago. The fifth-round pick delivered his first NFL touchdown and helped the Browns pick up a comfortable 24–10 win over a Raiders team that looked overmatched from the opening drive.
Sanders went 11-of-20 for 209 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Not a perfect performance, but exactly what the Browns needed.
More importantly, he did something no quarterback has done in Cleveland for decades.
Ending a 0–17 Curse
Since the franchise returned in 1999, rookie quarterbacks making their first start for Cleveland were a combined 0–17. Sanders finally snapped that painful streak.
“A lot of people want to see me fail. It ain’t gonna happen,” Sanders said afterward.
“I felt relaxed. Preparation helped a lot.”
The rookie’s fame clearly walked in with him. Sanders has drawn outsized attention for a fifth-round pick — thanks to his Hall of Fame father, Deion Sanders, who sat in the stands in Las Vegas to watch his son’s debut, and because of Shedeur’s headline-grabbing college career at Colorado.
This time, though, the hype had substance.
Night-and-Day Difference From Week 11
Sanders’ only prior NFL action came last week when Dillon Gabriel left with a concussion. Coming in cold, he completed just 4 of 16 passes, looking exactly like a rookie thrown into chaos.
With a week to prepare, the transformation was noticeable.
He went 7-of-11 for 127 yards in the first half alone, including a picture-perfect 52-yard strike to fellow rookie Isaiah Bond, setting up a touchdown. The lone blemish was a poorly thrown interception, but Sanders avoided major mistakes and wasn’t rattled by pressure.
Cleveland led 14–3 at halftime, arguably the team’s sharpest offensive showing all season.
Garrett Makes More History, Browns Defense Dominates
The Browns have wasted elite defensive performances all year, but Sunday finally brought balance.
Myles Garrett set a new franchise record with his 17th sack of the season, surpassing his own mark — then added two more before the afternoon ended. He now sits at 18 sacks, putting him within reach of the NFL’s single-season record with six games left.
The Raiders’ offensive line had no answers, and quarterback Geno Smith spent the day running for survival.
Sanders’ First NFL TD
The play that sealed the momentum came in the second half. Sanders dropped a short pass to Dylan Sampson, and the rookie running back turned it into a 66-yard sprint to the end zone, giving Sanders his first career touchdown.
That made it 24–3, and from there, Cleveland’s defense handled the rest.
What Happens Next at QB?
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Dillon Gabriel would have started Sunday if he had cleared concussion protocol. After the win, Stefanski still wouldn’t name a Week 13 starter, declining to “get into that discussion yet.”
So Sanders’ time as QB1 might be temporary — but he left an impression.
For once, Cleveland’s rookie quarterback didn’t become part of a tragic stat. He rewrote it.