Replacing injured Dillon Gabriel, the table was set for Shedeur Sanders to have his storybook NFL debut and finally prove he was the right quarterback for the Cleveland Browns from the very beginning.
Instead, he showed why Kevin Stefanski was keeping him off the field.
That’s why Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report named the rookie as one of the NFL’s biggest losers of Week 11.
“Loser: QB Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns,” Sobleski wrote. “Sanders may get the start next Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, depending on Gabriel’s recovery during the week. However, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Cleveland go with practice-squad QB Bailey Zappe, either. Yes, Sanders looked that unprepared against an aggressive Baltimore defense on Sunday. Anyone who thought the fifth-round pick would take hold of his first opportunity and run with it was sorely disappointed by his 4-of-16 performance, one that likely had a negative impact on his confidence.”
Sanders’ Debut Highlights Development Needed
Of course, Sanders deserves some slack, as it was the first time he got some live work with the first team during the regular season.
If Gage Larvadain comes down with this, the narrative around Shedeur Sanders would be different this morning#Browns just need to give him 1st team practice reps because he can clearly make the throws
pic.twitter.com/GUFDdKynDt
— Mac🦬 (@tha_buffalo) November 17, 2025
Many of his struggles against the Ravens were likely due to a lack of chemistry with his offensive line or his pass catchers. But his decision-making was poor, and he failed to read coverage on many of his plays.
Sanders’ tendency to hold the ball too long was an issue in college, and he clearly hasn’t improved in that aspect of the game. He took avoidable sacks, and while he only had one pass intercepted, he got away with at least two other potential turnovers.
Sanders should improve as he gets more reps with the first team. He has a chance to show that he should have gone much higher in the draft, but he will have to show improvement in his next outing.
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