Browns 24, Raiders 10

We... we won? We actually won?! YES!!!

That was one of the uglier games in recent memory. Both teams combined for 21 penalties, and 186 penalty yards. (8 for 77 yards for the Browns and 13 for 109 yards for the Raiders).

But as I've said before, unlike college football, there are no style points. The NFL is a bottom-line business. A win is a win no matter how you can get it. And the Browns snagged a win for just the third time this season. Yes, it's been an awful season. But any Browns win puts a genuine smile on my face!

How'd the Browns hit the Jackpot in Vegas? Let's take a look at the Keys to Victory!

The defense FEASTED!

Guys, I love seeing a solid pass rush. More than I love seeing a beautiful touchdown pass. There's just something awesome about seeing Myles and the crew overpower an opposing offensive line, or time the snap just right. And once they get rolling? It's poetry in motion. They were practically living in Vegas's backfield tonight.

Myles Garrett led the way with three sacks, but several other Browns got in on the action tonight too. Maliek Collins (2.5), Devin Bush (1), Isaiah McGuire (1), Cameron Thomas (1), Mike Hall (0.5), Shelby Harris (0.5) and Jerome Baker (0.5) all had sacks. This added up to an eye-popping 10 sacks!

The last time the Browns registered that many sacks in a game was 41 years ago, in a 1984 game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Not only that, but Myles Garrett has put himself on pace to break the all-time NFL single-season sack record. He currently has 18 sacks on the season, including a ridiculous 13 sacks over the last four games.

Michael Strahan set the record back in 2001 with 22.5 sacks, but Myles has a chance to make history. Cleveland has six games left on the schedule. It's been a rough year, but seeing him break the record would put a big smile on my face. And it would also finally put the debate to rest, as to who the better pass rusher is between him and TJ Watt.

Watt is the beneficiary of being on a solid enough team that competes every year. Garrett's on an awful team, and he's STILL making things happen. Watt's a great player. But Garrett's a straight up force of nature. He's a future Hall of Famer, too. There's no comparison.

The future Hall of Famer led the charge today. But the Rookie also did his thing too!

Shedeur Sanders wins his first start!

Let's keep one thing in perspective: The Raiders are awful. I'm not going crazy with "Shedeur Mania" like some are. I still don't think he's the answer at quarterback. Or at the very least, the jury will be out on him for me for at least a couple seasons.

But for today, he was solid. He went 11-20 for 209 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He didn't make too many mistakes. The only one he really made was when he tried threading the needle and paid for it with a pick. But luckily for Shedeur that didn't come back to bite him.

I'm glad to see that he's getting comfortable pushing the ball downfield though. He still needs to grow, and he will. But if he can keep getting better, and learn to pick his spots when it comes to throwing it deep, he could be dangerous!

That 52-yard bomb to Isaiah Bond that set up a Judkins touchdown plunge was a thing of beauty! Normally whenever a Browns quarterback is flushed from the pocket, I turn away or cover my eyes. I have seen enough interceptions, or throws back across the body, to probably need years of therapy.

But Shedeur's bomb wasn't just beautiful to see, it also snapped a 15-game drought for Cleveland quarterbacks without a pass of 50+ yards.

I will be the first to admit that I didn't want Shedeur here. His attitude before the Draft turned me off. There's being genuinely confident in one's abilities, and then there's showboating and being cocky. But I think falling to 144th in the Draft humbled both Shedeur and Deion. And from all I've seen thus far this season, Shedeur has said and done all the right things since being on the roster. And I don't rip on guys who do the right things.

I genuinely hope he's the guy though now that he's here. I'm not rooting for him to fail. I want him to succeed. If he does? That means the Browns are winning. Hopefully his win over the Raiders today was the first of many. Way to go, kid!

Two other rookies made a mark on today's game too!

Judkins and Sampson: The future of the Browns running game

I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss Nick Chubb. I love that guy. He gave so much to the Browns, and was as Cleveland as they come when we're talking about running backs. He never was cocky, loud or a showboat. He simply went to work, ran people over, and let his running do the talking for him.

But Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson might just be big-time running backs very soon. They certainly showed glimpses of it today.

Judkins only ran the ball 16 times for 47 yards. But in a season where this offense has been anemic and struggled to score, Q punched it into the endzone not once but twice to put the Browns up 14-0 in the first quarter. Cashing in, even in short-yardage situations, is huge.

Dylan Sampson also had his moment to shine, when he caught a checkdown pass from Sanders, and showed off his speed, as he motored 66 yards to paydirt on Shedeur's first touchdown pass of his NFL career!

I personally prefer big, bruising backs that run downhill. But a running back that can be a dangerous pass catcher in space is a severely underrated weapon. I hope the Browns stick with both backs for 2026 and beyond. If these guys have a chance to grow, they could be a dangerous thunder and lightning combo in the future!

But for now, I hope the Browns can take this win and build on it. Yes, they probably have no business beating the Niners next week at home in Cleveland. But they also had absolutely no business beating the Packers earlier in the year, and got it done. Anything can happen on any given Sunday. Absolutely anything.

But tomorrow I'm just going to enjoy a rare but sweet Victory Monday! Hope you do too, Dawg Pound!

GO BROWNS!

Statistical Leaders

Shedeur Sanders: 11-20, 209 yards, TD, INT

Quinshon Judkins: 16 carries, 47 yards, 2 TDs.

Dylan Sampson: 2 catches, 72 yards

Sources

ESPN, Yahoo Sports

Picture Credit

raiders.com