The Cleveland Browns finally managed to win their third game of the season. And while it came against a slumping Las Vegas Raiders team and may have hurt the team’s draft positioning, it was still a much-needed morale boost.
With that in mind, Kristopher Knox bumped the Browns up five spots in his latest power rankings.
With the win over the Raiders, the Browns now sit in the 27th spot.
“We’re not going to overreact to the Cleveland Browns going 1-0 with Shedeur Sanders as their starter, though plenty of folks will probably do just that in the coming days. Sanders looked mostly comfortable in his first start and had a couple of truly impressive throws. Though it all came against a suspect Las Vegas Raiders defense, he did enough to make going back to Dillon Gabriel, when healthy, anything but an easy choice. The rest of Cleveland’s season is all about finding if there’s a viable starting QB on the roster—and whether Myles Garrett can pick up the five sacks needed to break the single-season record,” Knox wrote.
Sanders Shows Promise As Browns Search For Stability On Offense
Granted, it’s not much, but it’s a positive move in the right direction. Shedeur Sanders looked solid in his first career NFL start. His 52-yard deep pass to Isaiah Bond in the first quarter of Sunday’s game was better than anything the Browns have gotten from Dillon Gabriel this season.
Sanders also looked more confident, and his presence seemed to have sparked a different vibe with the team. Whether he has what it takes to be the franchise’s savior might be an entirely different story, but given how poorly Gabriel fared as a starter, its worth taking a longer look at him.
The Browns’ defense is special, and Myles Garrett is reaching unmatched levels of dominance with Mason Graham by his side. He should be the frontrunner to win Defensive Player of the Year regardless of the team’s record.
The playoffs may already be out of reach, but there are still plenty of reasons to tune in and watch this team try to do better every week.
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