The Shedeur Sanders Experience starts in Cleveland. How long will it last?

The much-anticipated Shedeur Sanders Experience began with a standing ovation from the hometown fans Sunday afternoon at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland. It ended with Sanders sitting on the bench — head in his hands, running his fingers slowly over his braids after the Browns’ 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

After the loss, Sanders addressed the team and blamed himself.

“He wants to make the play. He wants to have that game-changing drive because he feels like he has that ability,” Browns defensive end Myles Garrett told reporters. “We’ve seen it. Don’t be discouraged by one or two drives.

“That’s a good football team over there. [We] try to keep his confidence high and keep chasing that standard that he has set. As a team, we need to support him.”

Now, the question is: How long will the Sanders Era last?

Starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel sustained a concussion in the second quarter with Cleveland leading 16-10. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Gabriel will start this week if he clears concussion protocol. If he doesn’t, Sanders will start against the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 23.

Sanders entered a regular-season game for the first time this season with 12:43 left in the third quarter. It was hardly an ideal way for Sanders, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and University of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders, to make his NFL debut. But an opportunity trumps no opportunity.

Sanders, viewed by many as a probable first-round pick for much of the 2024 college football season, saw his stock plummet during the draft process. Cleveland selected him in the fifth round (144th overall) of April’s NFL draft, two rounds after the Browns picked Gabriel.

Sanders began his career fourth on the Browns’ depth chart, which is why he hadn’t worked with the first-team receivers until Sunday. Backup quarterbacks rarely receive practice reps in the NFL.

None of that mattered when No. 12 trotted onto the field for the first time.

Sanders completed his first two passes, but the drive ended when Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton sacked Sanders, forcing a fumble the Browns recovered. Hamilton celebrated by performing Sanders’ trademark watch celebration.

On the Browns’ next possession, linebacker Kyle Van Noy blasted Sanders as he delivered the ball. The pass sailed and Nate Wiggins intercepted it, returning it 14 yards to the Cleveland 16 to set up a field goal.

Still, Sanders had an opportunity for a legendary ending. The Ravens led 23-16 with 2:31 left when he started his sixth drive at the Cleveland 35.

On first down, standing in a clean pocket, he delivered a 25-yard completion to tight end Harold Fannin Jr. to the Baltimore 40. A 10-yard pass to receiver Jerry Jeudy, who eluded two tacklers and converted a third-and-10, moved the ball to the Baltimore 30.

After a 5-yard scramble, Sanders escaped the pocket with a spin move to the left and motioned for his receiver to continue along the back of the end zone as he approached the line of scrimmage. Sanders, hit as he threw it, couldn’t follow through and the ball sailed over the head of rookie receiver Isaiah Bond.

On third-and-10, he delivered a pass in the corner of the end zone, but cornerback Chidobe Awuzie knocked it out of Gage Larvadain’s hands as the receiver tumbled to the ground. On fourth down, the Ravens blitzed Sanders into an incompletion.

“Losing isn’t something I’m comfortable with. I just gotta take this one. This really happened on my watch,” Sanders said after the game. “I don’t like the feeling. I still have the same confidence. I’m still me. That’ll never go anywhere.”

Sanders finished 4-of-16 passing for 47 yards with an interception and a passer rating of 13.4. He was sacked twice and hit numerous times after delivering the football. During the first half, fans chanted, “We want Shedeur!” and booed Gabriel, who passed for 68 yards on 7-of-10 attempts.

Sanders appreciated the support.

“I’m extremely thankful,” Sanders said. “Let me say this…when Dillon’s out there playing, I appreciate the fans, but it’s not helping the team [cheering for Sanders instead]. That can be taken as I’m being a distraction, and I’m not even doing nothing.”

There’s a good chance Sanders will have at least one more week to do something to make Gabriel and Stefanski uncomfortable.

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