It took one preseason start for Shedeur Sanders to make the Browns' QB decision obvious

As scheduled — and following a lengthy weather delay — Shedeur Sanders took the field for his first start of the preseason on Saturday. He played behind the second-team offensive line and with Denzel Boston as the only offensive starter beside him.

Despite the lack of high-end talent around him, the second-year quarterback showed some poise and improvement. It wasn't spectacular, but it was the best quarterback play we've seen in training camp and the preseason.

Sanders completed eight passes in a row at one point and finished his day with nine completions on 11 attempts for 74 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and an 87.6 passer rating.

That should be enough for head coach Todd Monken to name Sanders the Week 1 starter. It probably won't, though, even with Watson struggling through a listless third quarter-plus of action.

Shedeur Sanders showed more than Deshaun Watson against the Bills under similar circumstances

Watson took the field to start the second half. He was met with some pretty loud boos, and he didn't do much to appease the fans after opening with back-to-back three and outs.

The veteran signal-caller looked shaky behind Cleveland's third-string offensive line. He finished the game with five completions on 12 attempts for 35 yards and a terrible interception on an overthrow to Gage Larvadain. He had a 14.6 passer rating.

Of course, Sanders wasn't perfect. He couldn't do much on a two-minute drill at the end of the second quarter, and he could have placed the ball a bit better on the interception, even though the ball bounced off tight end Jermaine Terry's hands. But considering all the variables, it was a strong showing for Sanders when it needed it the most.

Sanders' touchdown pass to Luke Floriea was right on the money. He had a big gain on a scramble that was negated by a Zak Zinter holding penalty, and he made smart, quick decisions.

Despite how shaky and rusty Watson has looked during the Browns' two preseason games, all signs point to him starting in Week 1 of the regular season. It should only be a matter of time, though, before Shedeur takes over; it seems inevitable.

Unfortunately, Sanders didn't get an extended run with the starting offensive line or the team's plethora of new playmakers on Saturday. But after watching two quarterbacks play for three-plus quarters, it shouldn't be a hard call.

Shedeur is the best guy for the job.

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