Cleveland Browns veteran Myles Garrett was watching intently on the sideline when he saw Shedeur Sanders sprint to his right to evade an all-out blitz late in Sunday's Week 12 win against the Las Vegas Raiders.
As Sanders uncorked a deep ball down the field, Garrett tracked the arching pass with a bewildered look on his face. When the ball fell into the hands of rookie wide receiver Isaiah Bond for a 52-yard gain, Garrett put his right hand on his head in disbelief.
Garrett looked at his teammates on the sideline, all with similar reactions on their faces, as the outsized crowd of Browns fans inside Allegiant Stadium broke into a frenzy.
"I'm just like, 'Wow.' There's not many guys in the league that can make that throw," Garrett said. "So, that was a hell of a throw. I hope he can continue to grow and develop from making plays like that and take it from there."
There was a palpable buzz surrounding the first start for Sanders, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who grew up in the spotlight and possesses a large fan base that has followed his career.
And fresh off his first win as an NFL starter, Sanders has evoked a rejuvenated energy surrounding the Browns -- one that his teammates seek to carry into Sunday's home game against the San Francisco 49ers (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
"Man, Shedeur got a crazy fan base," safety Grant Delpit said. "He got the spark, stardom and all that and he's popping it right now. So I tell him keep popping it, man. Keep doing what he's doing, and we got you on defense. So we're going to get you that ball back and keep riding that energy, man, because we need it."
Sanders wasn't perfect in the Browns' 24-10 win against the Raiders. He completed 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown and an interception. However, he helped spark Cleveland's offense with a trio of explosive pass plays, including the aforementioned completion to Bond. It's part of the reason Browns coach Kevin Stefanski named Sanders the starting quarterback for a second consecutive game, even as rookie Dillon Gabriel cleared concussion protocol.
"I think that's part of his game," Browns left guard Joel Bitonio said. "You saw it in college. He makes plays, he moves around the pocket. That throw in the moment, I didn't even know, you're blocking somebody else, but the hit he took while he made that throw was very impressive. But those are the plays I think you saw him flash in college that were like, 'All right, this guy has some potential to make those on the next level,' and hopefully we can keep building on it."
Sanders has expressed appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity to start after beginning his NFL career as Cleveland's fourth quarterback on the depth chart, behind fellow rookie Gabriel and veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.
The Browns' fifth-round draft pick also acknowledged a bit of a return to normalcy in reassuming a starting role like he was accustomed to at Colorado and being able to lead again in his own unique manner.
"I feel like they respect the way I go about my business," Sanders said last Sunday, "and being a backup and everything, sometimes you have to compromise your personality and change the way you do things to never step on anybody's toes. So, the fact that I got an opportunity, and I was able to show the organization, show everybody who I really am, then that was truly exciting.
"So, I was off-balance for a little bit the past couple months of my life, but it was different. But I'm thankful to be back," he said.
Earlier this season Sanders admitted he had to be mindful of how his jovial personality could be misconstrued by the public, but teammates have said it's something that they can gravitate toward.
"He's a funny dude. He's always positive," defensive tackle Maliek Collins said. "He is just a good dude to be around. ... Always got good vibes, inspirational and, I mean, he wants to be legendary. He wants to be great. So I mean you see those type of qualities and the way that he prepares and the way that he played his first NFL start [Sunday] and we came out victorious, so that was something that we could feed off of."
Sanders quickly became a fan favorite in Cleveland after the Browns drafted him with the 144th pick. As losses mounted and the Browns went from Flacco to Gabriel at quarterback, intrigue piqued regarding when Sanders would get an opportunity to start.
When Sanders, taking over for a concussed Gabriel, jogged onto the field in the third quarter of the Browns' Week 11 game against the Baltimore Ravens, the crowd at Huntington Bank Field erupted. Knowing the hysteria that was likely to ensue with Sanders' debut, Bitonio said he reminded Sanders he would probably have to quiet the crowd so the offense could operate.
"Obviously his dad is one of the best players ever, and he's been in the limelight his whole life," Bitonio said. "So it's an experience that people want to be a part of. And then I think his personality, he has a little bit of excitement that comes with it, and I think the plays he made, you win a football game, we find a win on the road. All those things add up, and we just want to continue to grow around him and help him as much as we can."
Ahead of his first home start, Stefanski said he wasn't concerned about Sanders harnessing the forthcoming environment.
"He's always done a nice job of that," Stefanski said. "You know, what we appreciate about all of our players is authenticity. He's the same guy every single day. Obviously, on game day, there's a juice that comes with that, there's an excitement that comes with that. But he's played that position for a long time, he knows how to make sure he keeps the main thing, the main thing."
Sanders is aware of the impact he can have on the Browns, even with a 3-8 record. However, he said it's a reciprocal impact as teammates trust him now that he is QB1.
"It's about belief," Sanders said. "The reason why I am so confident in the way I am is the guys around believe. So that's what's most important within having a team, within having an offense, within having to have a sport. You know, you got to have guys that believe. And I'm fully confident in myself throughout everything, and I'm confident in my team and I'm sure they're confident in me also."
