Sanders stars but Browns fall to Saints in overtime

Shedeur Sanders produced a stirring performance, but the Cleveland Browns still lost 23-22 in overtime to the New Orleans Saints.

On Sunday, Sanders completed 19 of 31 passes for 297 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Yet victory eluded Cleveland.

Sanders got his first start of the season after Deshaun Watson entered the concussion protocol during the week. Watson cleared the protocol on Saturday, but the Browns still made him inactive on Sunday.

Head coach Todd Monken had already named Sanders the starter on Friday, after Watson was unable to take part in team reps during the week.

The 24-year-old Sanders is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. He started seven games as a rookie last season, and this was another chance to prove he deserves to be the team's starter.

For much of the afternoon, though, he did not look comfortable. He threw for just 38 yards in the first half and was sacked five times for a loss of 37 yards on the day.

Cleveland's first two goal-to-go possessions produced only three points, with Sanders taking a sack on each. The second chance came from a tremendous effort by receiver Denzel Boston. Sanders underthrew a wide-open Boston down the sideline, but Boston adjusted, snatched the ball over the defender and took it inside the Saints' 5-yard line for a 60-yard completion. After a run went backwards, a seven-yard sack pushed Cleveland back to the 12, and the Browns settled for a field goal.

Trailing 9-6 in the fourth quarter, Sanders found KC Concepcion for a 64-yard score, giving the Browns the lead with 5:21 remaining. Concepcion caught the pass at the Saints' 28-yard line, cut back across the field and outran two Saints defenders into the end zone, on what looked like blown coverage by New Orleans.

Cleveland then had a chance to run out the clock after its defence forced a punt. Sanders picked up a first down with his legs, but a holding penalty and another sack derailed the possession. New Orleans got the ball back and scored a touchdown to lead 16-13 with 58 seconds left.

Facing third-and-6 from his own 30 on the ensuing drive, Sanders moved outside the pocket and fired a 30-yard strike to Jerry Jeudy while taking a massive hit from Chase Young. It was easily his best throw of the afternoon and one of the best of his young NFL career.

Sanders eventually led the Browns into position for Andre Szmyt's 51-yard field goal, which tied the game with eight seconds remaining and forced overtime.

The Browns won the toss and elected to kick. New Orleans promptly marched 74 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown. Sanders answered by completing six of eight passes on a 67-yard touchdown drive.

Harold Fannin Jr. deserves most of the credit for the play that brought Cleveland within a point. He caught a short pass just beyond the line of scrimmage, broke multiple tackles and turned it into a 39-yard touchdown.

Cleveland went for a two-point conversion and the win, but the New Orleans pass rush immediately pressured Sanders. He scrambled to his right before throwing an incomplete pass intended for Boston, ending the game.

Boston's catch, Concepcion's touchdown and Fannin's catch-and-run accounted for 163 of Sanders' 297 passing yards — his receivers did much of the work to make his final line look as good as it did.

Before Sunday's game, Monken said he assumed Watson would remain the starter when healthy. But Watson has not done enough to cement his status, and Sanders showed the same unevenness while also delivering when Cleveland needed it most. Cleveland entered Sunday at 5-3, with all five victories coming by four points or fewer. After this performance, the debate over who should start in Cleveland will only grow louder.