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Shedeur Sanders became the first Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut since 1995 on Sunday. The victory, however, came with a reminder of why he hadn't seen the field until Week 12.
Sanders finished the day completing 11 passes for 209 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception against the Las Vegas Raiders. It's a solid first outing - though not quite reaching the heights of Cam Newton's legendary 422-yard, two-touchdown rookie debut.
Confidence or Cockiness?
The postgame interview revealed the confidence that's made Sanders such a polarizing figure in NFL circles.
"A win is crazy, it's amazing, you know," Sanders said before looking directly into the camera with a message. "Off of one week of practice, you know what I mean? This is one week of practice. So imagine, you know, what a full offseason look like? It get dangerous. But it's just one week of practice, so I'm just truly thankful that everything happened."
"Imagine what a full offseason looks like ... it gets dangerous." 👀
Shedeur talking SPICY 🍿🔥
Perhaps I'm just a "hater millennial" - the new version of "Okay, boomer" - and if so, I'll accept that label. Age comes for us all eventually.
But there's something telling about staring into the camera like a WWE promo after beating what many consider the NFL's worst team.
The Browns defense recorded 10 sacks in the game - a dominant performance that received no acknowledgment in Sanders' comments.
This self-focused approach highlights why Sanders fell in the draft and raises questions about his potential as a franchise quarterback. He's already talking about next season when he should be focused on preparing for next week's game.
Flashes of Potential
Despite the concerns about his maturity, Sanders did show why Cleveland drafted him. He completed three passes of at least 35 yards against the Raiders - two more than the Browns had managed all season before his start.
The rookie clearly brings a vertical element to Cleveland's previously stagnant offense.
If Sanders remains under center, he'll face a significant step up in competition next week. The San Francisco 49ers and their Robert Saleh-coached defense will provide a much more challenging test than the struggling Raiders squad he just defeated.
Only then will we see if Sanders' confidence is justified or premature.
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