There is plenty of excitement about the Cleveland Browns’ matchup on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders because rookie fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders will be making his first start. He had a rough debut when he came on in relief last week in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but there is hope that this week will be better as he’s going up against a team that has lost eight of its last nine games.
Even though the Browns are 2-8, the defense has done its job just about every week. Last week, Myles Garrett racked up four sacks and the Browns held the high-powered Baltimore Ravens to 23 points despite Cleveland’s offense struggling to get anything cooking after halftime.
Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is well aware of how dangerous Cleveland’s defense is. He had plenty of praise for the Browns during his recent press conference.
“This will be the toughest defense we’ve faced so far this year. Coach (Jim) Schwartz does an unbelievable job with those guys and he’s got players like Myles Garrett, who’s probably the Defensive Player of the Year. We certainly have our work cut out for us,” Kelly said.
Elite Defense Could Set Up Sanders’ First Win
Cleveland’s defense is once again playing at a championship level, but unlike two years ago when it helped fuel an 11-win season, it hasn’t been able to carry the offense this time around.
"A PICK-SIX FOR THE CLEVELAND DEFENSE"@Browns take advantage of the deflection 👀 pic.twitter.com/mdP27gRHhB
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 16, 2025
Kelly has been around the block a few times, so he knows exactly what it’s like to go up against a great defense, and it means a lot when he says this is the best the Raiders will see all year.
Sanders looked awful last week, but if Garrett and company can hold the Raiders under ten points, Sanders could have his first win on the horizon.
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