LAS VEGAS — Shedeur Sanders took the field in Las Vegas for his first NFL start, looking to bring a spark to an offense that has been stagnant all season. There were both bright spots and struggles, but ultimately, Cleveland handled the Raiders and broke the 17-game losing streak for quarterbacks making their career start for the Browns.
The opening drive wasn't much to talk about, with Cleveland going three-and-out and forced to punt. However, there was a glimmer of promise in the drive. Sanders was able to make to quick completions for eight yards—not enough to move the sticks, but good decisions to get the ball out quickly.
After the Browns' defense forced the Raiders to punt on their opening drive, wide receiver Gage Larvadain was back to return. Larvadain found an opening and took advantage, returning the punt for an impressive 44 yards, stopped only by Raiders punter AJ Cole, who was called for tripping on the play.
The strong return helped put the Browns in scoring position, and after a five-yard rush from running back Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland called a play that has worked all season for them. With Sanders on the sideline and the Browns in wildcat formation, Judkins took the direct snap and, with some excellent blocking, made his way into the end zone to give the Browns an early 7-0 lead.
While the Browns defense continued imposing their will on the Raiders, Myles Garrett and Maliek Collins stuffing rookie running back Ashton Jeanty and Collins then sacking quarterback Geno Smith on their next drive, the offense once again went three-and-out on their next possession—a failed toss play to running back Dylan Sampson and a Sanders sack moving the sticks back too much to overcome.
That wasn't a problem, however, on the next offensive possession. On the Browns' first play of the drive, Sanders hit rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who racked up the YAC (yards after contact), fighting for 17 yards with defenders draped on him. A short run and an incompletion brought up 3rd-and-eight, and that's when Sanders showed off a bit.
With rookie wide receiver Isaiah Bond running deep and starting to beat his defender, Sanders, under pressure, let it rip and hit Bond on a beautifully placed 55-yard pass, stopped just shy of the end zone.
That pass from Sanders set the Browns up for their second Judkins wildcat touchdown, which seems to never fail, taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
After the Browns defense kept the Raiders off the board, with Las Vegas trying for a 48-yard field goal but Daniel Carlson hitting it wide left, the Browns offense was back on the field. Unfortunately, after an incredible pass in his previous drive, Sanders threw a not-so-incredible pass in triple coverage, getting picked off and the Raiders gaining possession in Browns' territory. Sanders didn't see Raiders defensive end Charles Snowden drop back from the line, leading to Snowden taking the ball away.
A strong Browns defense minimized the damage, holding the Raiders to a 41-yard field goal, this one successful. The defensive production continued through the first half, and Smith continued to be taken down, sacked on the same drive by linebacker Devin Bush and Collins.
Sanders had the ball back in his hands and on his first play of the next drive, hit a wide open Jerry Jeudy for a 39-yard gain—which was lost when Jeudy, who was running free before slowing up, had the ball knocked out of his arms by Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn and recovered by the Raiders. It was a head-scratching decision from Jeudy that was luckily, once again, minimized by the defense, who forced the Raiders to punt on the drive following the fumble recovery.
The Browns took a 14-3 lead into the half, but increasing that lead became a struggle for the Browns. The offense led two drives in the third quarter, both ending in punts. With the Browns defense keeping the also-struggling Raiders offense off the board, the Browns were finally able to score again, this time off the foot of Andre Szmyt, who nailed a 53-yard field goal to make it a 17-3 game with just over 12 minutes to play.
If you guessed the defense wouldn't let off the gas, you'd be right. The Browns continued taking down Smith, and Garrett continued his record-breaking season of sacks.
After forcing their Raiders to punt for the eighth time in the game, the offense found a resurgence thanks to another rookie. With Judkins sidelined with an injury, the Browns had Sampson on the field. Sanders hit Sampson on a quick pass, but Sampson made the most of it, breaking tackles and breaking free for an explosive 66-yard touchdown to make it a 24-3 game.
The Raiders were able to find the end zone in the fourth quarter for the first time in the game, a quick pass from Smith to Jeanty—but it was of no use for the Raiders.
After the Browns punted it away, the Raiders were looking to close their deficit—but Garrett was there to ruin that with his third sack of the game, taking down Smith for the Browns' 10th sack of the game.
Sanders finished the game with 11-for-20 passes, 209 yards, an interception and a touchdown pass.
The Browns still have plenty of issues to work through. Scoring more than 20 points has remained a challenge for Cleveland, and while they broke the 20-point margin Sunday, it wasn't easy for them. But with the defense continuing to be the engine of the team and the offense showing glimpses of success, the Browns will look to build on their third win of the season.
