All eyes were on the Cleveland Browns in Week 12, as Shedeur Sanders made his first career start. Facing off against the Las Vegas Raiders, it didn’t take the rookie quarterback long to get everyone on their feet. On Cleveland’s fourth offensive drive of the game, Sanders rolled out of the pocket on third down, and uncorked a 52-yard throw to fellow rookie Isaiah Bond.
The long completion set the Browns up for their second score of the day, giving them a 14-0 lead, and it also ended a terrible streak for the team. The pass was Cleveland’s first completion over 50 yards in 15 games, which was the third-longest drought in the NFL. Sanders only needed one start to snap that steak.
Shedeur Sanders ends a Browns' drought with 52-yard pass
After the play, the broadcast showed star defender Myles Garrett, who was visibly surprised and excited. His reaction pretty much captures all Browns' fans emotions in that moment. However, it’s still early for Sanders, but everyone is hoping that’s just the start of what’s to come for the talented quarterback.
Another promising detail about the explosive play was the fact that the Raiders' blitzed on the play. The biggest problem for Cleveland in Sanders' first half of football, in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens, is that the team didn’t have an answer against the blitz. On 3rd-and-8, an obvious passing situation, the Raiders sent pressure, but Sanders escaped the pocket and made a big play.
The big-play ability is one of the rookie quarterback’s strengths, and something everyone was hoping to see from him now that he’s in the lineup. As demonstrated by the steak he just snapped, it’s something Cleveland has been searching for in a quarterback for a long time. Of course, there’s more to playing quarterback than explosive plays, but that is an important attribute teams would love for their quarterbacks to have.
Sanders has quickly proved he has that attribute, now he will have to show how many other qualities of a franchise quarterback he has. If he can flash more of them in his time on the field, and lead the Browns to a win, Sanders could secure a spot for himself in Cleveland’s lineup.
Sanders Sends Bold 6-Word Message to Browns Teammates, Fans Ahead of 1st Start
The Shedeur Sanders era for the Cleveland Browns could either begin or end with the first start of his NFL career in Week 12.
Sanders spent the week prepping for the Las Vegas Raiders and spoke with CBS Sports reporter Tiffany Blackmon before the game, sending a confident six-word message to his teammates and the fans.
“What do you hope to show against this Raiders defense, your teammates, yourself and these Browns fans with your play today?” Blackmon asked.
“I’m who they been looking for,” Sanders responded.
