Cleveland Browns veteran backs up Shedeur Sanders' lack of first-team reps

It wasn't expected.

Rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel hit the turf hard late in the second half of play on Sunday night, unable to return to the outing against the Baltimore Ravens. Announced at halftime, Gabriel had entered concussion protocol, meaning rookie backup Shedeur Sanders would make his NFL debut.

At halftime, Cleveland led 16-10, but a strugglesome second half led to Cleveland falling 23-10.

And it wasn't pretty.

But it also wasn't awful or dissheartening. Sanders, who had not gotten any first-team opportunities outside of his live in-game chances against the Ravens, tossed for 4-of-16 through the air for 47 yards with an interception. He was also sacked twice and rushed three times for 16 yards.

On the final drive of the game, he nearly led Cleveland to a late comeback with a perfectly thrown ball to the back of the endzone for wideout Gage Larvadaian, but it was unfortunately broken up by Ravens defensive back Chidobe Awuzie.

While there are obviously kinks in his game that need to be addressed, it was Sanders' first time working with nearly all of the starters on the field at the same time.

Wyatt Teller on Shedeur Sanders: "I think I have heard his cadence like, two or three times. I think going out of halftime, we all got on the line, and he said his cadence and we kind of got through it. Again, a lot of learning, but he played his heart out. We just fell short."
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) November 17, 2025

Veteran offensive lineman, Wyatt Teller, spoke to the fact that he didn't even know Sanders' cadence.

"I think I have heard his cadence like, two or three times," Teller said. "I think going out of halftime, we all got on the line, and he said his cadence, and we kind of got through it. Again, a lot of learning, but he played his heart out. We just fell short."

Cleveland not giving Sanders any first-team reps at all, even after being named QB2, is a blatant issue. Without those chances to connect with the starting wideouts or be alongside the offensive line, he can't build a rhythm or chemistry.

Being thrust out into the mix with little preparation is obviously not a recipe for success, and that falls on the coaching staff. Even if they want to ensure Gabriel gets the most amount of opportunities to develop in practice, you still have to at least give the backup some time to grow, especially when he's a rookie too.

"I don't think I played good," Sanders said. "I don't think I played good at all."

On his first drive, Sanders looked decent, completing two passes for 12 yards.

He provided Cleveland with a bit more of a spark than that of Gabriel, who has had pretty lackluster performances over the last few weeks. He rolled out of the pocket, attempted to target different route runners and threw on target.

Shedeur Sanders's first NFL completion 🔥

(via @NFLonCBS) pic.twitter.com/wG2nTSX0M9
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 16, 2025

However, his second drive is where things got shaky as he threw an interception.

It seemed to hinder his confidence a bit, with him then starting to sit in the pocket longer on the game's remaining drives. Sanders' confidence seemed to be a bit shaken and he looked to be second-guessing decisions.

Another issue that arose was the Ravens reading the run game.

Cleveland went to rookie tailback Quinshon Judkins early and often, giving him 17 total carries for 59 yards. While he started off strong, the Ravens' adjustments shut him down, forcing the Browns to go right back to the passing game.

With Sanders being so green, it was hard for him to do much with the offense.

Sadly, this may be all we see from Sanders for a bit of time. After the loss, head coach Kevin Stefanski doubled down on Gabriel being the starter moving forward when he returns from concussion protocol.

He said that he will start against the Las Vegas Raiders next week if cleared, but did give Sanders praise.

"Shedeur's made unbelievable strides in the meeting room, on the practice field," Stefanski said. "I know he wants to be better, and he will be better. But that's just what comes with hard work."

Cleveland enters the upcoming stint against the Raiders with a measly 2-8 record, having not won a game since Sunday, Oct. 19, against the Miami Dolphins. Gabriel. who was starting, finished that game with 13 completions for 116 yards through the air.