Browns rookie QB Shedeur Sanders will make first NFL start

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A natural showman, one of the many gifts inherited from his famous father, Sheader Sanders is already touting his first NFL outing.

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This will happen on a 100-meter stage in America's entertainment mecca.

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“You can't miss this moment,” Sanders said Wednesday. “It will definitely be interesting.”

He hopes it goes better than his debut.

Sanders, a flashy rookie quarterback with a beaming smile, unwavering confidence and a huge fan base, will start Sunday in glitzy Las Vegas – perhaps a fitting venue – against the Raiders as the Browns (2-8) turn to him while fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel recovers from a concussion.

Slowly moving up the depth chart, Sanders, who entered training camp as the team's fourth starter behind Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and Gabriel, will become the 42nd quarterback to start for the Browns since the franchise's expansion reboot in 1999.

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“It's crazy,” he said when told of the startling statistics that highlight the team's incompetence. “I feel like I'm that guy. I know I'm that guy.”

Time will show. So far the reviews are mixed.

Last week, Sanders replaced the injured Gabriel in the second half of Baltimore's 23-16 loss. It was a shaky outing as Sanders, who went in the fifth round of April's draft before being selected by the Browns, completed just 4 of 16 passes for 47 yards with an interception.

He was also sacked twice, made a mistake once and held the ball too long, a problem since college. Besides giving hapless Cleveland fans something to cheer about, Sanders did little to convince anyone that the Browns' search for a franchise quarterback was over.

Sanders was hard on himself after that, accepting the blame but feeling he should have done more. But by Wednesday, he had moved on and was more than ready to turn things around.

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“Of course, I’m my own biggest critic,” he said. “So in certain situations in the game, even on fourth down of the last game (incompletion), I would like to just extend the game. So notice, I don't listen to the critics. I don't listen to what anyone says, other than the organization, the team, the family or whatever.

“Everyone has their points of view. But they don't, or they did it in their past life and their time has passed. I'm just grateful to be living in the present. Now I have the opportunity to go out there and do the best I can. Will there be mistakes? Of course.”

Unlike last week, Sanders should be better prepared. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Sanders will gain all his first-team capabilities in practice. The Browns were criticized for not giving Sanders time as a starter since their draft.

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Quarterback Wyatt Teller had never heard Sanders' rhythm before he took the field Sunday.

“I'm really excited about it, knowing that I have a piece of the offense and the right to speak my mind and how everything fits my opinion and puts the players exactly where they need to be,” Sanders said of the extra work he'll get. “Seeing how they get in and out of routes, seeing the structure of the front line players, seeing their recruitment, just feeling it.

“I'm more of a feeling person, so that's how I learn. That's how I do things. I don't just say, “I'm just watching, it's just going to happen.” No, I have to be there, feel it.”

Stefanski said Gabriel remains in concussion protocol but is recovering. The third-round pick out of Oregon struggled, going 1-5 in his six starts.

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When Gabriel recovers from his illnesses, he will be able to return to the starting line-up. But it could also depend on how Sanders performs this week. If he plays well, he may end up finishing the season with a Browns team that goes nowhere.

Sanders said he has not yet spoken with his father, Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who currently coaches at Colorado. He's spoken with brother Shiloh but insists he's taking time away from family this week to better focus on the Raiders.

“Shiloh called me, but I said, 'Bro, right now, if you want to talk, everybody just fly over and come to me, bro.' I'm not trying to talk on the phone. If you want to talk, just come to my place and then we can talk from there. Other than that, I don't even check my phone.

“Too many people messaged me, are you okay? Yes, I'm okay. It wasn't me that was robbed, it was my house that was robbed.”

On Sunday, while Sanders was playing his first regular-season game, his home was burglarized. The Medina County Sheriff's Office said three masked and gloved suspects stole approximately $200,000 worth of property from the QB's residence.

“Mentally and emotionally, I’m generally in a great place,” he said when asked about the break-in, adding that no jewelry was stolen. “My life will always be full of adversity. Things don't always go according to plan, but I would say I'm prepared for anything.”

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