Shedeur Sanders had 38 passing yards at halftime of his first start this season. He finished with 297 yards, two touchdowns, a forced overtime, and a quarterback controversy Cleveland cannot put back in the box.
Sanders started in New Orleans because Deshaun Watson was inactive after a week in the concussion protocol. For three quarters it looked like a backup getting backup results. Then the game flipped: a 64 yard touchdown to KC Concepcion put Cleveland ahead late in the fourth, a tying field goal drive in the final seconds forced overtime, and a 39 yard touchdown to Harold Fannin Jr. in overtime pulled the Browns within a two point conversion of winning it. The conversion failed, and Cleveland lost 23-22.
The 64 yard touchdown, from the Browns’ own feed:
The final line was 19 of 31 for 297 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, a career best 114.6 passer rating, with the only two completions of 60 plus yards by any quarterback in a game this season. He also took five sacks, and New Orleans let him know about it. After Khristian Boyd got him in the fourth quarter, the Saints did Sanders’ own watch celebration back at him.
After the game, Sanders cleaned up his own week too. He said he was not trying to shade the Saints defense with his comments about their film before the game, and he apologized if his words were taken out of context.
“I’m really proud of him. He gave us a chance at the end.”
Browns head coach Todd Monken, on Sanders
Bill Cowher, who won a Super Bowl coaching Pittsburgh, said Cleveland should keep the offense in Sanders’ hands for good. Monken praised him and then refused to name next week’s starter, pointing out the game had ended about 30 minutes earlier. Browns fans spent the first half calling for Dillon Gabriel and the second half calling for the exact opposite.
That is the whole Shedeur experience in one afternoon. Watson is in the last year of his contract, Cleveland is 5-4, and whoever starts against Houston next week, this argument is not ending.
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