Kevin Stefanski explains why Shedeur Sanders didn't get a game ball after first win

Cleveland's fifth-round rookie became the first draftee to win his first start for the club since 1995.

Nov 23, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) looks to make a pass attempt as Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) tackles him during the third quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns’ victory last Sunday by a score of 24-10 has more than a few feeling hopeful that Shedeur Sanders can finally become a long-term solution at the most important position in all of sports.

While the win -- in Sanders’ first start as a pro -- is a truly important milestone in itself, his performance wasn’t enough to earn him a game ball afterwards.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski addressed the subject on Wednesday, explaining, “You go into it, try to just highlight guys. You know, Myles [Garrett] got a game ball. I thought it was pretty worthy.

“But, you’re just constantly trying to recognize your guys. We spent time this morning as well, pointing out all the guys and the job they did. You know, pointed out Gage [Larvadain] having a big punt return which was huge for our team. Your D-line doesn’t get 10 sacks unless your coverage is really good. Obviously a rookie starting his first game on the road getting a win is huge so, you acknowledge all of that with your team.”

#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski on why he didn’t give Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel game balls after their victories: pic.twitter.com/USpiT9DQoU

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) November 26, 2025

So, in other words, while Sanders didn’t get a game ball right after the win in Las Vegas, the quarterback did get recognized for his efforts in leading the club to its second highest output all season long, after a 31-6 thrashing over the Miami Dolphins in Week 7 with Dillon Gabriel as the quarterback.

Sanders final stat line against the Raiders reads 11-of-20 completions for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Dylan Sampson took a screen pass 66 yards to the house for Sanders only scoring pass of the evening, which in turn made the rookie running back a candidate for Rookie of the Week honors.

Sanders has already been confirmed as the team’s starter for the Browns' Week 13 showdown at home against a San Francisco 49ers club that’s missing two key components on defense, defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner.

Game ball or not, Sanders must find a way to keep the ball rolling and keep the team winning.

While we did see some progress from the Colorado product as opposed to what we saw during the preseason and during his first live reps against Baltimore in Week 11, it’ll be hard for the Browns to stay on a winning trajectory unless Sanders keeps improving on a weekly basis, since not all rivals will play as poorly as the Raiders did last Sunday.