Despite possessing a six-point lead heading into the second half in Week 12, the Cleveland Browns were unable to walk away with the victory on Sunday evening against the Baltimore Ravens.

Despite star EDGE rusher Myles Garrett having an outstanding five-sack performance, he was not the main storyline from the contest, as rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders made his NFL debut on Sunday.

After the team’s starting quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, suffered a concussion in the second quarter, Sanders found himself in the QB1 position for the second half of the contest. While fans were screaming with excitement for the rookie’s true debut this season, Sanders was unable to live up to the hype.

The 2025 fifth-round pick showed promise in his first drive, as he completed his first attempt for a gain of five yards off a bootleg. He would then follow it up with another solid completion to tight end David Njoku to move the chains on 2nd and 15 before taking a massive 14-yard sack.

Unfortunately for the young quarterback, he would have a quick second drive after throwing an interception.

NFL (@NFL) on X Shedeur Sanders is picked off by Nate Wiggins! BALvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+ https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt

Sanders faced a ton of pressure on third downs throughout the duration of his debut, as Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr did an excellent job of dialing up blitzes and keeping him off balance. In this case, Sanders tries to find wideout Jerry Jeudy, and while there may have been a miscommunication between the two, cornerback Nate Wiggins was in a perfect spot to grab the interception.

The Browns' offense would fail to score in the second half, and with the Ravens finding a way to score twice, it was clear that Cleveland needed a spark with less than three minutes left.

Luckily for fans, the momentum shifted when Sanders found fellow rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. up the middle for a huge 40-yard gain to put the Browns in Baltimore territory. But this energy was quickly bottled up by the Ravens' defense, who eventually managed to force a turnover on downs.

Dylan Feltovich (@DyfeltClips) on X

The Verdict: D+

There was a reason why head coach Kevin Stefanski avoided playing Sanders so far this season, and it was clear-as-day on Sunday evening.

One of the main contributors to the rookie quarterbacks’ struggles in Week 12 was the fact that he has yet to make the adjustment to the NFL speed. In college, Sanders was able to create plays out of nothing, but the change in tempo strained his ability to get through his progression.

On multiple occasions, Sanders faced a heavy pass rush, but instead of either trying to stay in the pocket and make a throw or even hit his check down, he would bail out of the pocket. And while he showed glimpses of promise, it’s obvious that Sanders needs more development.

Dylan Feltovich (@DyfeltClips) on X

Depending on Gabriel’s availability for Week 12, the former Colorado standout could make his first-career start on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders. This could be beneficial for Sanders, as he would then have a full week of preparation.