Should Cleveland Give Shedeur Sanders Another Start Against Houston?

Shedeur Sanders threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns in his first start of the season. The Cleveland Browns still lost 23–22 in overtime at New Orleans. Both facts belong in the discussion about who should start against Houston, but the score leaves out the most interesting part of the decision. Sanders had limited practice reps with the starters and still gave Cleveland a chance to win on the road. What would the offense look like if he had a full week to prepare as the starter?

Reports point toward Deshaun Watson returning against his former team. Todd Monken stopped short of naming a starter Monday. Watson cleared concussion protocol Saturday but was inactive against New Orleans, and Cleveland is 5–4 after two straight losses. The Browns have a decision to make about Sunday’s game as well as the rest of the season. I’d give Sanders the Houston start.

Sanders earned another look, with a clear assignment

Cleveland went into the fourth quarter with six points. Sanders finished 19-of-31, and his overall numbers show the offense eventually found opportunities downfield. They also leave a fair question about why it took so long for the Browns to put a touchdown drive together. If he starts against Houston, the first thing I’d judge is whether he can keep the offense on schedule in the first half. A few completions that move the sticks early can change both the field position and what Monken has available later in the game.

Sanders also took five sacks, losing 37 yards, and didn’t throw an interception. The clean interception column is encouraging, but the sacks belong in the evaluation alongside it. Cleveland needs to look at which pressures the line could have handled and which ones Sanders could have answered by getting to his outlet faster.

A full practice week would give Sanders and the starting line time to work through protection calls together. That matters when the defense shifts just before the snap. The quarterback needs to know which rusher the protection leaves for him and where his immediate outlet is. Monken can also find out which calls Sanders executes comfortably with the starters, especially on third down and in the red zone. Those are better reasons to give him the week than the raw passing total alone.

Watson has the stronger case on continuity

Watson started the first eight games, and Cleveland won five of them. Monken has a larger sample of how the offense operates with him, including what he’s comfortable checking to at the line. That’s a real advantage for a team trying to stop a two-game skid. If the staff believes Watson sees Houston’s pressure looks more quickly and is ready for a full week of work, there’s a football argument for putting him back in.

Houston also gives Cleveland a reason to think carefully about the kind of game it wants to play. C.J. Stroud threw for 384 yards and five touchdowns in the Texans’ 44–22 win over the Chargers. Cleveland has to account for the possibility that it will need explosive plays of its own. I’d start with throws Sanders can get out on time, then give him chances downfield off those same looks. Making Houston defend both levels gives Cleveland a better shot at scoring early than waiting for a late rally.

Give Sanders the week and judge the whole game

The overtime loss ended on a failed two-point try after Cleveland scored a touchdown. That final snap shouldn’t carry more weight than the rest of the game. Sanders helped Cleveland get to that point, and he also quarterbacked an offense that managed only two field goals through three quarters. The case for starting him again comes from wanting to see both parts of that performance with a game plan built for him and a full week of first-team reps.

Start Sanders against Houston and evaluate the first half as closely as the finish. If he turns those early possessions into points while keeping the downfield throws available, Cleveland will have learned something it can use beyond Week 10. At 5–4, the Browns need that answer while they still have games worth winning.