There's been plenty of things said, positively and negatively, about Shedeur Sanders since his arrival in Cleveland seven months ago. On Sunday, the debates, the noise, the arguing all fell silent for about three hours, while the polarizing rookie made his first career start. 

When he emerged on the other side victorious, having led the Browns to a 24-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, he had a message for those who had doubted him. 

"A lot of people want to see me fail," Sanders asserted. "And it ain't gonna happen. It ain't gonna happen." 

In his first career start, Sanders completed 11 of his 20 pass attempts for 209 yards, tossed a touchdown and an interception. It was hardly a perfect performance, but there were moments – like the 52-yard dot he tossed on the move to fellow rookie Isaiah Bond late in the first quarter to set up Cleveland's second touchdown – that suggested he's plenty capable of being a starting QB in the NFL. 

"I'm not going to lie, I felt very relaxed," said Sanders. "Very relaxed. And half of that comes from preparing, studying, and knowing I got God on my side. So throughout all that, I had no worries. I had. I didn't feel nervous or anything before the game, cause, you know, like, he took off all my worries and everything away. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it a lot" 

Plenty of Browns fans enjoyed it too. On a day where the Cleveland's defense produced a Madden-esque performance, racking up 10 sacks and holding the Raiders to just 10 points, the offense finally carried its own weight. 

Sanders helped orchestrate four different scoring drives to put up 24 points in total. It's the second highest scoring mark of the season for Cleveland. The results weren't surprising to the Colorado product. 

"The thing is, I visualize everything during the week," Sanders said. "The game was already played, so that's why I have confidence. That's why I'm able to talk how I talk, walk how I walk, do what I'm able to do, because the game was already mentally played already before we was out there. Then when you get out there, you confirm what you watch everything. And, yeah, then you got the guys in the right spots. When you need them in the right spots for different situations, then you're able to capitalize off them." 

By the end of the game, Sanders could claim the Browns three longest pass plays of the season. That ledger includes the aforementioned 52-yarder to Bond, but also a 66-yard screen pass touchdown to another rookie, running back Dylan Sampson. 

"The fact that I got an opportunity and I was able to show the organization, show everybody who I really am, then that was truly exciting," said Sanders. "So, you know, I was off balance for a little bit [these] past couple months, my life, but it was different. But I'm thankful to be back. To be back where I am."

Instant Reaction: Shedeur Sanders Leads the Cleveland Browns to Victory Over the Las Vegas Raiders Shedeur Sanders snapped a 30 year old streak in Cleveland. The last time that a rookie quarterback won his first start was in 1995 under Bill Belichick until...

The last seven months since sliding all the way to the fifth round of the NFL Draft where he was selected by the Browns, have certainly been a whirlwind for Sanders. 

Being the polarizing figure he is, was already going to welcome all sorts of opinions from outside the organization, especially when the team had also selected Dillon Gabriel two rounds prior. 

That decision paved the way for what head coach Kevin Stefanski called a four-way competition for the starting job, in a room that also included veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. Sanders started as the fourth QB on the depth chart, trying to learn and develop through minimal reps during the offseason program and training camp. 

When the season started he had outlasted Pickett to be promoted to the No. 3 QB role. He spent the early portion of the season as the emergency third QB on game days. Then Stefanski pivoted to Gabriel as the starter, and the team traded Flacco to the Bengals, paving the way for Sanders to climb the depth chart again. 

He saw his first live action a week ago, being thrust into a game against the Baltimore Ravens when Gabriel suffered a concussion and was ruled out. By his own admission, it was a rough NFL debut. But in the week leading up to Sunday's win over the Raiders, Sanders finally took all the first team reps and had a game plan built for him. 

The results spoke for themselves. He quite literally started from the bottom, but now he's here. 

"Six, seven months ago, I couldn't tell you I'll be here," he said. "...Everybody starts different places. And like I say, just because I didn't get the summer reps, you know, just because I wasn't in the best situation for me to be prepared to go out there and execute, like, from a summer standpoint, that's how life is, you know? Everybody's not in the right, everybody's not in the best situation, but there's no excuse. You got to go out there and perform."

Sanders made the most of the opportunity and silenced many of his harshest critics in the process. Now the question becomes, did he do enough in the eyes of the Browns' brass to retain the starting job going forward? 

If he did, Sanders won't take it for granted. 

"You don't know how surreal that feeling is knowing that you have the responsibility of the Browns organization on your shoulders," he explained. "You know, having all the fans, everybody in here arguing with each other online and everything.

"Everybody have their differences about me, it is what it is. But I'm just thankful I'm here before y'all today and hopefully we cleared a little stuff up, but have a long way to go, a long way to grow and I know it's only one way and the only way is up."