Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders delivered a dramatic performance in his first start of the 2026 season, throwing for 297 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-22 overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Sanders completed 19 of 31 passes with zero interceptions, becoming the only quarterback this season to record multiple 60-yard completions and the first Browns quarterback since Jameis Winston in 2024 to throw for 250-plus yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in a single game, according to CBS Sports Research.
The contest was tied 6-6 entering the fourth quarter before exploding for 33 combined points in the final period and overtime. Sanders struggled through three quarters, completing just 7 of 12 passes for 100 yards, but erupted for 197 yards and two touchdowns on 12-of-19 passing in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Rookie Receivers Make History
Rookie wide receivers Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion each hauled in receptions of 60-plus yards, becoming the first rookie duo in 35 years to accomplish the feat in the same game. Boston led the team with six catches for a career-high 98 yards, while Concepcion caught four passes for 85 yards, including his first NFL touchdown on a 64-yard play.
Late Heroics and Overtime Drama
Trailing 16-13 late in the fourth quarter, Sanders engineered a 41-yard drive to set up a game-tying 51-yard field goal by Andre Szmyt. In overtime, after the Saints scored a touchdown on their opening possession, Sanders responded with a 39-yard touchdown strike to tight end Harold Fannin Jr., a play reminiscent of Marshawn Lynch's famous 2011 run against New Orleans.
Coach Todd Monken elected to go for a two-point conversion and the win, but Sanders' pass to Boston fell incomplete, sealing the Browns' 5-4 record.
Quarterback Debate Intensifies
CBS Sports analyst and Hall of Famer Bill Cowher advocated for Sanders to remain the starter. "Shedeur Sanders should be the starter for this football team. He's going to be the future, and I think what he showed today — his resilience — he continued to come back, he made great decisions, he extended plays," Cowher said.
Starter Deshaun Watson, who led Cleveland to a 5-3 start with five game-winning drives before suffering a concussion in Week 8, has thrown for 300-plus yards in back-to-back games but with zero touchdowns. Monken praised Sanders' maturity and competitiveness after the game. "I'm really proud of him and how hard he's worked since I've been here... for a guy that really hasn't taken snaps with the ones in 10 weeks ... to come in there and continue to battle. Really, really proud of him. He's really matured," Monken told reporters.
