Shedeur Sanders quieted critics during his first NFL performance.
Sanders appeared on all seven first-half drives for the Cleveland Browns, completing 11-of-18 pass attempts for 103 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 19 yards on four carries. It was an eye-opening, impressive performance full of accurate throws and timely plays. He took what the Carolina Panthers‘ defense gave him, finding his playmakers on the outside and protecting the ball. But, he also exploited them for a handful of downfield plays and showed off his touted arm strength.
Sanders went three-and-out on his first and third drives of the game, but the Browns’ special teams unit came up with a muffed punt inside the Panthers’ 10-yard line after that third drive. Sanders took advantage of the turnover. On second-and-goal from the 7-yard line, he rolled out left on a boot leg and lofted a pass into the back corner of the end zone to Kaden Davis. The connection between Sanders and Davis helped tie the game at seven.
Along with that touchdown pass, Sanders produced a few other highlight plays. He scrambled for 10 yards on a third-and-9 from midfield to pick up a first down. Then, on a third-and-8 from inside the Browns’ own 10-yard line, Sanders delivered his best throw of the game — rifling a pass to Gage Larvadain on a dig route for a 19-yard gain.
Sanders’ longest completion of the night came on another show-stopping play, when he scrambled out to his right and lobbed a pass to Luke Floriea that seemed just out of his catch radius, but the wide receiver snagged the pass with one hand for a 30-yard gain.
Three plays after that completion, Sanders found Davis for another touchdown, this one a line drive across the middle of the field for a 12-yard score. Davis’ second touchdown helped give the Browns a 14-7 lead.
Sanders’ one blip came on a fourth-and-1, when he ran directly back to avoid the Panthers’ pass-rush before throwing an incomplete pass. But, otherwise, it was an impressive first half for Sanders.
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