It was a productive starting debut for Shedeur Sanders on Sunday. With an actual week of preparation to play, Sanders looked a lot better than he did a week ago in his NFL debut against the Ravens.
The former Colorado QB threw for 209 yards and a touchdown and, most importantly, led the Browns to their third win of the season. Sanders threw an interception, but he also accomplished a couple of things that haven't been done by a Browns QB in a long time.
In the first quarter, he completed a beautiful deep ball down the field to Isaiah Bond for 52 yards. It was the first 50+ yard pass completion for the Browns in 15 games, dating back to Week 13 of last season.
Sanders also became the first Browns QB since 1995 (!!!) to win his first career start. When you think about how many quarterbacks have started over the last 30 years, that's an unbelievable stat. Cleveland carried a 17-game losing streak in such games that Sanders snapped on Sunday.
Sanders' immense arm talent was on full display. It's that talent that has made Cleveland fans so excited to finally see him get an opportunity. He made some rookie mistakes, most notably the interception he threw in the second quarter, but he also made a couple of throws that have been rare for a QB in a Browns uniform in recent years.
After the game, Sanders, ever confident in his ability, had a simple message for all of the people out there rooting against him.
"A lot of people want to see me fail," Sanders said. "It ain't gonna happen."
Shedeur Sanders delivered an all-time quote after first NFL start
That's a cold line from Sanders following his first career start. Some people were quick to bury Sanders following his 4-of-16 game against the Ravens last week when he came in off the bench to replace an injured Dillon Gabriel. It looked foolish then, and looks even more foolish now that Sanders played well this week against the Raiders.
And again, he wasn't perfect. But he's not going to be. No rookie is. But you know what he did do? He provided hope for a fanbase starving for it. Cleveland has one of the best defenses in the NFL, but has floundered - again - because the offense has been abysmal.
Against the Raiders, Sanders and the Browns' offense were more than enough to get a 24-10 win. They'll need more from the offense in future weeks, but that will come. Sanders will continue to get better. The first-team reps he got this week were vital in his development.
It remains to be seen how long Gabriel might be out for. But after how Sanders played on Sunday, it's a legitimate question of whether he should continue as the starter or if the Browns should hand the keys back to Gabriel.