The Browns clash with the Raiders in Week 12 was among the most anticipated battles of two-win teams of recent memory for one reason – Shedeur Sanders. Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion in the team's Week 11 loss against the Ravens, paving the way for the highly talked-about fifth-rounder to get his first start. The story of the game was far from Sanders, however, as Cleveland's defense was utterly dominant again.
Cleveland coasted to a 24-10 win in Sanders' debut, breaking the streak of 17-straight losses when a rookie quarterback makes his first start. They also broke the 13-game road losing streak that dated all the way back to Week 2 of the 2024 season.
Browns ride dominant defensive effort to win in Shedeur Sanders' first start
Cleveland did their best to slowly get Sanders in rhythm in the early parts of the game, and the Raiders were bringing pressure early and often – to no surprise. They finally started to back off after Sanders evaded the pressure, bought time, and hit Isaiah Bond on a 52-yard completion that set up a two-yard Quinshon Judkins touchdown.
This was a game that was in the Browns' control for basically the entire game, so Sanders wasn't asked to do much in the latter part of the game. He did manage to get his first career touchdown pass on a third-down screen pass that Dylan Sampson took 66 yards to the house on third-and-nine. Sanders finished his first start 11 of 20 for 209 yards with a touchdown and an interception along with one sack taken.
The Raiders' offensive line was very beat up and struggling coming into this game, and the Browns responded by getting 10 sacks, the most in a game by any team over the last two seasons. Myles Garrett led the way with another banner performance in his DPOY campaign – 11 pressures and three more sacks to set a new franchise record for single-season sacks at 18. Isaiah McGuire added seven pressures and a sack, while Maliek Collins had 2.5 sacks.
While this wasn't a performance that will make you certain Sanders will be a long-term answer, he looked like he belonged and avoided too many turnovers or negative plays. He's got a long way to go to stop the Browns from drafting a quarterback this year, but Browns fans will enjoy the ride with Sanders as long as it lasts.