Shedeur Sanders made his first NFL start on Sunday in the Browns’ matchup against the Raiders, and early in the game, he executed easily the best play of his young career.
Thanks to a long punt return and a touchdown run by Quinshon Judkins, the Browns took an early 7-0 lead over the hapless Raiders. On their fourth drive, Sanders showed his own play-making ability on a 52-yard throw down the field to receiver Isaiah Bond. The Raiders pressured Sanders with a Cover 0 blitz, but Sanders rolled out to his right and impressively got the ball off to Bond right before two defenders barreled in on him.
52 YARDS LET'S GO#CLEvsLV on CBS and NFL+ pic.twitter.com/om72vAYgCL
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 23, 2025
Myles Garrett’s face said it all.
us too Myles, us too 🤯 pic.twitter.com/7AtC91NxZ8
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 23, 2025
The All-Pro defensive end appeared to be in shock as Sanders completed the deep pass to Bond. Garrett said after the game, “I'm just like 'Wow, there's not many guys in the league that can make that throw. That was a hell of a throw. I hope he can continue to grow and develop for making plays like that.”
The Browns started the game off conservatively, running the ball and calling a few screens to give Sanders some easy plays to execute. On his throw to Bond though, Sanders not only completed a pass down the field for a massive gain, but successfully got the pass off while dealing with significant pressure—a struggle for him in last week’s loss to the Ravens.
Sanders’s father Deion, who is in attendance for the game, also clapped in celebration of his son’s impressive play.
you know that's right 🙂↕️#FortheCelly | @budlight pic.twitter.com/DnwwMCLQTY
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 23, 2025
The pass set the Browns offense at the Raiders’ two-yard line, and Judkins ran in for another touchdown on the ensuing play, giving Cleveland a 14-0 lead.
The start hasn’t gone perfectly, however. On the drive after, Sanders made a rookie mistake as he threw an interception which the Raiders turned into three points. Two drives later, he completed a pass to Jerry Jeudy for a big catch-and-run, but Jeudy fumbled the ball. Through the first half, Sanders is 7-11 for 126 yards and an interception while the Browns hold a 14-3 lead.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Myles Garrett Had Priceless Reaction to Shedeur Sanders's 53-Yard Dime for Browns.
