Grading Shedeur Sanders' 1st Career NFL Start for Cleveland Browns

Grade: B

The Cleveland Browns were looking for any kind of spark, and Shedeur Sanders provided one during his first NFL start. Though the franchise should not be ready to anoint him as anything, and it isn't.

The 23-year-old completed 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the 24-10 win. Sanders' 52-yard connection with fellow rookie Isaiah Bond proved to be the quarterback's biggest highlight.

"The nicest play was the scramble against the unblocked blitzer for the 52-yard gain," a coach from another team told The Athletic's Mike Sando. "He felt the pressure immediately and got away to his right, threw a nice ball without getting his feet set."

The fifth-round rookie certainly set the stage before the game began.

When asked what he hopes to prove in a CBS pregame interview, Sanders responded, "I'm who they been looking for."

It's confidence that borders on arrogance. Before anyone views the previous statement as a slight, it's exactly the right mentality a starting NFL quarterback needs to do his job at the highest level. Sanders must now prove himself. He got off to a promising start against the Las Vegas Raiders.

There's no reason for anyone to get ahead of themselves, though. The Browns have been here before. In fact, they reached this same point earlier this season when Dillon Gabriel played relatively well during his first start (190 passing yards and two touchdowns in Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings).

How a rookie quarterback responds when opponents are specifically game-planning for them often tells a different story, especially after tape gets out regarding their particular skill set.

Sanders definitely deserves credit, because some of his worst habits at the collegiate level didn't become an issue during Sunday's contest. This year's 144th overall draft pick looked more comfortable stepping up into the pocket, got rid of the ball quickly and didn't fade against pressure. The Browns' coaching staff helped with a solid gameplan involving a good run game and quick hitters, including Sanders' 66-yard touchdown toss, which was nothing more than simple swing pass to running back Dylan Sampson.

Sanders is clearly a more talented playmaker than Gabriel. That's not even in question. Some excitement is definitely warranted. It's a small step in the right direction for an organization that's taken 42 steps backward over the last 26 years.

What's Next?

Head coach Kevin Stefanski announced on Monday that Sanders will start again in Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers with Dillon Gabriel still in the concussion protocol.

Sanders should be named Cleveland's starter for the rest of the campaign, even once Gabriel is able to return to the field. Gabriel's physical limitations became obvious during his six starts. The Browns need to see what they have in Sanders to give the franchise's front office a good indication of how it should proceed at quarterback entering the 2026 offseason.

Sanders knows exactly what will happen when he takes the reins.

"A lot of people want to see me fail," he told reporters. "It ain't gonna happen."

The proof will be seen on the field, which happens with Sanders in the lineup.

How Sanders Can Cement Himself as Starting QB

Over the next six games, Sanders must stack quality performances in order to ensure he's the Browns' starting quarterback beyond this current stint.

Sunday's performance provides a baseline. At the same time, he'll need to grow and show continued improvement during a relative small sample size.

The rookie's inability to recognize underneath coverage and throw into a double-team, resulting in an interception, will likely prove to be more costly against better competition.

No one expects Sanders to play flawlessly. That's an unrealistic standard for any quarterback, let alone a rookie. But the positives have to outweigh the negatives. Furthermore, the aforementioned bad habits seen during Sanders' collegiate career can't reappear when things aren't going nearly as well as they did Sunday.

If Sanders continues to trend in the right direction, the Browns can go into the offseason with a quarterback to build around and possibly solve the Sphinx-level riddle the franchise hasn't been able to solve since before the turn of the millennium.