Shedeur Sanders throws first NFL TD, leads Browns to upset win
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Shedeur Sanders had a memorable afternoon in Las Vegas for the Cleveland Browns.
The former Colorado star quarterback and son of NFL legend Deion Sanders finally made his name on the NFL level for all the right reasons. It was Sanders’ first career NFL start after he struggled mightily last week in relief in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens. That was history in itself for Sanders.
But there was a lot more. Sanders tossed his first career NFL touchdown pass midway through the 4th quarter, with it coming on a 66-yard completion to running back Dylan Sampson, a fellow rookie and former Tennessee star.
Sampson did most of the work on the historic touchdown, catching the pass out of the backfield and going the distance to give the Browns a commanding 24-3 lead with 8:18 remaining in the game. Cleveland rolled to a 24-10 upset victory over the Raiders to improve to 3-8, so Sanders’s efforts were rewarded with a win.
Sanders was by no means perfect on Sunday, completing 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards with that 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
But he started his first career NFL game, and after what he’s been through since draft weekend, Sunday was finally an afternoon to celebrate for the high-profile rookie.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
