Another week, another loss for the Cleveland Browns.

Luckily for the struggling franchise, fans were at least entertained by rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders' performance on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, in a test against fellow rookie Cam Ward.

Sanders ended the Week 14 contest completing 23 of his 42 pass attempts for 364 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception while also rushing for a touchdown. His performance on Sunday was the third-most passing yards in a game by a Browns rookie QB in franchise history, tied with Brandon Weeden.

The Browns' offense began to heat up late in the first quarter after running back Quinshon Judkins’ 58-yard reception, which led to the first touchdown for Cleveland. Sanders managed to hit tight end David Njoku for a one-yard touchdown on third and goal, cutting the Titans’ lead to four.

Two offensive drives later, the rookie quarterback made one of the best throws I have seen him make in a Browns uniform. With less than three minutes in the first half, Sanders made a beautiful throw to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, who found a soft spot in the coverage and took it 60 yards to the house.

With a three-point lead heading into the second half, the Browns' offense failed to get into a rhythm, which opened the door for Tennessee to lean on its run game and regain the lead. Sanders, however, managed to rush and throw for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but his last-minute efforts were not enough to reclaim the lead.

Sunday’s contest against the Titans was easily Sanders’ best start in the NFL, as this was the first time that offensive coordinator Tommy Rees truly put the game in his hands. The rookie has begun to show signs of improvement, but there were multiple situations that resulted in him not receiving an “A” grade.

Sanders’ third-quarter interception was a prime example of him still trying to play hero ball, as he forced a ball up to wide receiver Gage Larvadain.

Strong safety Amari Hooker began to push up toward Juedy, leaving running back Dylan Sampson wide open in the flat. Instead of trying to pick up a chunk play to make it third-and-manageable, the ball was back in the hands of the Titans’ offense.

In addition to the occasional hero ball play, there were multiple plays where Sanders could have targeted the middle option on a flood concept, but did not attempt to make the throw.

Some of these plays required Sanders to either complete a pass with anticipation or hang within the pocket when feeling pressure, which caused him to hesitate in those situations.

Overall, this was a positive start for Sanders. Unfortunately, the 2025 fifth-round pick has four games to prove himself that he can be the team’s starter in 2026, and losing to the Titans does not help his case. The Browns now possess the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, putting general manager Andrew Berry in a perfect position to select a quarterback.