The most ideal circumstances for Shedeur Sanders' first start with the Cleveland Browns are blatantly obvious.
The Cleveland Browns fell to the New York Jets in embarrassing fashion on Sunday, giving up a pair of special teams touchdowns in a 27-20 defeat.
But the Browns' special teams futility was not the story of the game. It was quarterback Dillon Gabriel who went just 17-for-32 with 167 yards. Yes, he threw a couple of touchdown passes, but he was lucky he did not toss any interceptions based on how badly he misfired on some of his throws.
Sure, Cleveland's situation is not exactly ideal for a rookie quarterback. The Browns' offensive line is far from what it used to be, and the receiving corps are a mess.
But it's becoming increasingly obvious that Gabriel is not Cleveland's long-term answer under center, which means the door has to be open for Shedeur Sanders to finally start.
When should that time come, though?
Well, a perfect landing zone for Sanders is Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders, as the Browns will be facing one of the worst teams in football on the road.
Why is better on the road? Because it will allow Sanders to get away from all of the potential distractions of Cleveland (as far as the fans and media are concerned) and focus on the task at hand, which is trying to establish himself as a potential solution for the Browns moving forward.
Is Sanders the answer for Cleveland? I don't know, and you don't either. He was a fifth-round pick, so you wouldn't think that the 23-year-old actually stands much of a chance. But then you consider that many felt he should have been a first-rounder, and you wonder if there could be something there?
At the very least, the Browns owe it to themselves to give Sanders a shot sooner rather than later. They have two first-round draft picks next April, so they need to know if they have to prioritize a quarterback or not.
Chances are, Cleveland will be selecting a signal-caller when the time arrives, but the Browns won't know for sure until they actually see what Sanders has to offer.
Remember: Sanders did throw 37 touchdown passes while completing 74 percent of his passes during his final season at Colorado, leading the country in the latter category. So it's not like he is entirely unaccomplished.
I'm not here to say that Sanders is Cleveland's savior or that he should even have a guaranteed spot on the team next fall, but I do think the Browns need to provide him with a chance, and the Nov. 23 matchup against the Raiders represents the perfect opportunity for them to do so.