How Did Shedeur Sanders Do in 1st NFL Start for Browns? Insiders, Fans Sound Off

Shedeur Sanders led the Cleveland Browns to a 24-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in his first career start on Sunday.

The former Colorado Buff started in place of Dillon Gabriel, who was ruled out while in concussion protocol, opening the door for the fifth-round pick (No. 144 overall) to make his first start of his rookie season.

In his debut start, Shedeur Sanders threw for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception, completing 11-of-20 passes. He connected with Dylan Sampson for the passing score, while Quinshon Judkins added two rushing touchdowns.

▶️  Full Browns-Raiders Recap

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Shedeur's 1st NFL TD 🙌

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The victory ended a three-game losing streak for the Browns, improving their record to 3-8 on the season and marking their first road win of the year at Allegiant Stadium (1-5).

Fans celebrated Sanders' debut, applauding him for guiding the Browns to a win in his first career start.

The Browns opened the season with veteran Joe Flacco at quarterback while Deshaun Watson continues to recover from an Achilles injury. Third-round pick Gabriel took over in Week 5 after the team benched Flacco.

Gabriel and the Browns went 1-4 before he suffered a concussion in the first half of Cleveland's Week 11 loss to Baltimore. Sanders stepped in and struggled, going 4-of-16 for 47 yards with one interception and two sacks.

His Week 12 bounce back, while not flashy on the stat sheet, was an impressive overall effort that broke the Browns' three-game losing skid and included several stunning throws in key moments.

Cleveland held a 14-3 lead at halftime, with both touchdowns coming on the ground, while Sanders threw an interception in the second. 

Both teams were held scoreless in the third quarter before Cleveland added a field goal in the fourth. Sanders then threw his first career NFL touchdown pass, a 66-yard connection to Sampson, giving the Browns a 24-3 lead with 8:18 remaining.

A clutch forced fumble by the Browns ended the Raiders' comeback attempt after they had held Cleveland to a three-and-out, helping the Browns run out the clock and secure their third win of the season.

The Browns will host San Francisco next Sunday,