Shedeur Sanders Wins First NFL Start

Shedeur Sanders has kicked off his NFL career with a win, as he led the Cleveland Browns to a 24-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. This marks Sanders’ debut as a starting quarterback, and he certainly made a statement.

Everyone was watching Sanders, a fifth-round pick who was behind rookie Dillon Gabriel, to see if he could secure the starting position going forward. He didn’t disappoint; the Browns needed a solid start, and he helped deliver just that.

In the game, Sanders completed 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards, adding a touchdown and an interception along the way. Remarkably, he is the first Browns rookie quarterback since 1995 to win in his initial outing.

The highlight of the game? It was Sanders’ touchdown pass to running back Dylan Sampson, who took a 66-yard screen for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to 24-3.

Meanwhile, fellow rookie running back Quinshon Judkins set the tone early, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter. One of his scores was almost set up by a connection between Sanders and Isiah Bond, which could have been a touchdown for Sanders had another Raider not tripped him just before he crossed the goal line.

However, Judkins suffered an injury in the third quarter and couldn’t continue, which was a tough break. Thankfully, Sampson stepped up and matched the team’s performance with his own impactful plays.

The Browns’ defense played a huge role in this victory, constantly pressuring the Raiders and racking up 10 sacks, including three by NFL sack leader Myles Garrett. Other key contributors included Maliek Collins with 2.5 sacks, and Devin Bush, Cameron Thomas, and Isaiah McGuire, each with one sack.

Although Sanders faced some pressure from the Raiders’ defense, he was only sacked once during the entire game, a decent showing for a rookie.

It might sound unbelievable, but Sanders handled the pressure well, and his performance should give coaches plenty to analyze positively when they review the game film.