Shedeur Sanders gave the Browns a reason to keep the quarterback discussion alive on Saturday, throwing a touchdown strike in Cleveland’s 31-7 preseason loss to Buffalo. Deshaun Watson, meanwhile, made his first appearance in Cleveland since his 2024 season-ending injury and was booed on most of his drives.
For a team still sorting out its QB, that was the kind of night that changed the tone without changing the answer. Sanders, making his first preseason start after lightning delayed play, was under center for four non-kneel-down drives. He led one touchdown march and threw an interception on another possession, while Watson finished five of 12 for 36 yards with one interception in the second half.
Todd Monken had spent the summer saying he expected to settle the Browns’ QB1 situation around this part of preseason, which is why Saturday carried more weight than a typical exhibition game. The Browns are now moving toward Thursday’s home game against the Patriots without a public answer, and every drive between now and then feels like part of the audit.
Monken praised Sanders after the game, saying there was “a lot there to like,” that he played with “a certain amount of confidence,” and that he had gotten better at getting rid of the ball. He said Sanders wanted to make plays, said he thought the rookie did “a lot of good things,” and added that he was “really proud of him and where he’s come from the moment I got here until now.” But praise was not the same as a decision. Monken still said he was not ready to make a definitive call on the starting quarterback by Saturday afternoon.
That leaves the Browns with a public split-screen. Sanders offered the sharper performance, and Watson drew the reaction that framed the night. Watson called the fan response “disrespectful” and said it was “a little bit [more] personal than that,” pointing to the same field where he said he tore his Achilles and to fans cheering when he was hurt. Sanders also said on the broadcast that he did not “respect” the booing. The football part and the emotional part were never far apart.
What happens next is simple enough to state and hard enough to settle: Cleveland goes to the Patriots on Thursday, and the Browns still have not said whether Sanders or Watson will enter that game as the starter. Saturday gave Monken one more layer of evidence. It did not give him the final word.
