Recap: Shedeur Sanders gets second NFL start

Shedeur Sanders made his second NFL start for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon, and he looked solid again for a rookie. If you watched his first start against the Raiders, you saw a poised rookie manage the game and help deliver a win. This week was a tougher test against a talented 49ers team, and while the result went the other way, the operation as a whole looked cleaner in a lot of the right spots.

He finished 16 of 25 for 149 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. The ball security stood out. He took what the defense gave him, avoided the panic throws, and delivered a pretty deep touchdown to a fellow rookie that showed off timing and touch. The Browns offense still lacks rhythm at times, and protection was not perfect, but Shedeur kept the huddle calm and continued to get the ball out on time. For a young quarterback still getting comfortable with the starters, that is real progress.

Cleveland falls to 3 and 9, which means the big picture questions will keep circling. What does the rest of December look like, and how much of it belongs to Shedeur. Through two starts and his one cameo he is 31 of 61 for 405 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. There is certainly room to grow, but the week to week improvement is the important part right now. The processing is getting faster, the footwork is cleaner, and the mistakes are shrinking for Shedeur.

It is too early to project what the Browns will decide after the season, but the tape is giving front offices something to think about. If the reps keep stacking and the ball keeps staying out of harm’s way, the rookie will keep writing a case for more playing time. We will keep tracking Shedeur and the rest of the Buffs across the league so stay tuned.