3 things to know about Raiders’ foe: Sanders supported by defensive stars
The Browns come to Las Vegas with the same record as the Raiders at 2-8.
And just like its opponent Sunday, Cleveland is struggling to score points without a long-term solution at the quarterback position.
There are some key differences between the two sides.
The Browns have a playoff-caliber defense led by star edge rusher Myles Garrett and promising rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger. Cleveland is giving up 273.5 yards per game, the second fewest in the NFL.
The Browns, at least for one game, can also dream they may have found their franchise quarterback in rookie fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders, who will make his first start at Allegiant Stadium.
Here are three things to know about Cleveland heading into Sunday’s matchup:
1. All eyes on Sanders
It wouldn’t have surprised anyone during the draft process that Sanders is making his first NFL start at Allegiant Stadium.
Most would have just expected it to come with the Raiders, not against them.
Sanders, who finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting last year at Colorado, was linked to the team leading up to April’s draft. He has a long-standing relationship with minority owner Tom Brady and has been friends with quarterback Geno Smith for years.
The Raiders elected to pass on Sanders multiple times, however. He didn’t come off the board until the No. 144 overall pick.
The team will get a close look at what it missed out on Sunday. That doesn’t mean the Raiders will come to regret their decision. Sanders only completed four of his 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception in his debut against the Ravens last week.
Other rookie quarterbacks like Cam Ward, Dillon Gabriel and Tyler Shough have struggled this season, so it’s not a given that Sanders will stroll into Allegiant Stadium and light it up.
Still, after coming off the bench last week, he’s looking forward to the opportunity to play a full game.
“I think it’s going to be exciting,” Sanders said. “I know you can’t miss it — you cannot miss this moment. It’ll be definitely exciting. We are going out there with a purpose, going out there mentally ready, no distractions, no anything, and I’ll be excited.”
2. Garrett is really good
The Raiders have given up 31 sacks this season, the eighth most in the NFL. Now they have to deal with Garrett, who leads the league with 15 sacks in 10 games.
Garrett, the 2023 defensive player of the year, is on pace for 25½ sacks this season, which would break the record of 22½ shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.
The Raiders would have a hard time dealing with Garrett even if their offensive line was healthy. But with left tackle Kolton Miller and right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson on injured reserve with ankle injuries, things could get ugly.
“The one thing about Myles is that when you look at him, he’s a freakish-looking guy. He’s 270-something pounds and moves like a linebacker,” Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said. “But then, when you watch his movement skill, you’re like, there aren’t many big people that move that way. He’s as good as we’re going to face out there.”
3. Schwesinger stands out
The Browns made a shrewd move when they selected Schwesinger in the second round of the draft out of UCLA. All the 22-year-old has done since is record a team-leading 85 tackles, five quarterback hits, 1½ sacks, two interceptions and two pass breakups. Cleveland defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is in awe of what he’s seen so far.
“I gave him a big compliment on Monday, because I was with Ray Lewis his first three years in the NFL,” Schwartz said. “Ray’s obviously a Hall of Famer, maybe the best ever to play in the linebacker position, but the command that Carson has now in a lot of respects took (until) Ray’s third year in the league.”
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal. com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X
