The Cleveland Browns lost a heartbreaker against the New Orleans Saints to fall to 5-4 after they were unable to convert a 2-pt conversion in overtime, losing 23-22. It was Shedeur Sanders' first start of the season, and after he struggled mightily for most of the game, he truly came alive late in the game and gave the Browns a chance to win the game.
Sanders hit multiple big-shot completions, and though they weren't all great throws, he did what a lot of good quarterbacks do: he gave his playmakers a chance to make a play, and they responded by doing so.
One NFL analyst believes he did enough to remain the team's starter moving forward.
"The 23-22 loss to the Saints will leave a bad taste in the mouth after what was otherwise a solid performance,
especially given the circumstances. Cleveland's offensive line was abysmal, as has been the case much of the year, and the run game didn't help at all. There were also multiple drops. But there were several things Sanders delivered that Deshaun Watson simply doesn't. How about three completions on throws 30+ yards downfield? Watson has one ... all year! Sanders also did excellently in several moments navigating the pressure. Was he great? No. The sacks are a major issue, and he invites some of the pressure on himself with how he holds onto the ball. But he also had an 11-yard scramble on a third-and-6 and, later, a 5-yard scramble on third-and-4."
The quarterback situation and discussion aren't going anywhere after Week 9. It will be an interesting week in Cleveland heading into what has become a pivotal Week 10 matchup with the Houston Texans.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Week 9 has analyst suggesting Shedeur Sanders should start
