The Cleveland Browns look brand new.
On Sunday, Nov. 23, the Browns travelled to Allegiant Stadium to take on the Las Vegas Raiders with rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders set to make his first NFL start. They walked out with a 24-10, comfortable victory behind Sanders' strong control of the game.
He finished with 11 completions, 209 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also looked comfortable in the pocket, avoiding the Raiders' pressure, taking just one sack.
After the game came to a close, head coach Kevin Stefanski denied naming Sanders the starting quarterback moving forward.
"I'm not gonna get into that," he said. "Proud of him, proud of this offense. I'm just worried about today."
The question was asked due to Stefanski saying earlier in the week that rookie Dillon Gabriel would be the starter when he returned from concussion protocol. The former Oregon Duck suffered the injury in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens last weekend.
Since taking over the starting job back against the Minnesota Vikings in London, Gabriel has been the primary signal caller for Cleveland. During that time on the field, he's had a large chunk of struggles and bumps in the road, primarily his ability to get the ball down the field.
He's completed 109 passes for a 59.2% completion mark, good enough for 937 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. While he's obviously not turning the ball over much, his actual impact on the game is very minimal.
He plays more like a backup quarterback that is coming into the game to protect a lead, rather than a starter that's trying to surge a team to a victory and be a game-changer.
Fortunately, while Gabriel hasn't shown any knack for being a strong-armed, elite talent, Sanders gave glimpses of it against the Raiders.
Late in the first quarter of play, Sanders dropped back, scrambled out to his right and turned up field to throw a huge 52-yard dime to rookie wideout Isaiah Bond. This pass set up a Browns touchdown from running back Quinshon Judkins and also marked the longest passing play from the team in the 2025 season.
"There's a lot Shedeur [Sanders] does well," Stefanski said. "I thought to make that play, off schedule, when we were out manned in protection and get the ball down the field. There's a lot he's doing well and a lot he's working on, which I appreciate about young guys that want to get better."
So, if he's playing so well, why can't Stefanski just name Sanders the starter and allow everyone to see what he can do the rest of the year?
Well, mainly because they have to have some internal discussions first. While it is primarily the head coach's duty to name the starting quarterback, Stefanski would never outright bench Gabriel in such a manner, especially considering both are rookie quarterbacks.
“I’m always gonna take my time and do what’s best for the football team,"he said.
What will more than likely happen is the coaching staff will sit down over the next few days, evaluate the tape and make a decision heading into the upcoming matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
Right now, Cleveland controls its own destiny. By picking up the team's third win of the season, they are only 3.5 games back of first-place in the AFC North.
With six games to go, if the Browns win out, they would be 9-8 and potentially be able to punch a ticket into the postseason. It may be a far reach, but crazier things have happened in Cleveland's storied sports history.
If the Browns want to truly be competitive, it may be best to stick with the former Colorado Buffalo.