CLEVELAND, Ohio – They won’t even let me write an upbeat story.
That’s what I was thinking in the second half as the Browns were finding a way to blow a lead and lose to the worst team in the NFL.
Final score: Tennessee 31, Browns 29.
I wanted to write about how Shedeur Sanders had the best half of any Browns QB this season. I did write that for my Halftime Scribbles. The Browns had a 17-14 lead. A poised Sanders was 9 for 14 passing for 180 yards.
Sanders lofted an impressive soft pass to David Njoku near the corner of the end zone for a 1-yard TD.
Later in the first half, Sanders zipped a pass about 30 yards in the air. Jerry Jeudy caught it in perfect stride, and it went for a 60-yard TD.
Sanders looked comfortable, taking snaps under center.
Furthermore, Sanders was outplaying Cam Ward, the Tennessee QB who was the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft. Sanders was selected in the fifth round.
If only the game had ended there.
Shedeur Sanders threw three TD passes. John Kuntz, cleveland.comWhat about Shedeur?
Before I get into all the bloopers, blunders and outright baffling coaching decisions, it’s worth discussing Sanders.
On this chilly Sunday with temperatures in the 30s and snowflakes fluttering down, Sanders was not fazed playing in the cold weather. That’s important.
Yes, Sanders made a few rookie mistakes, but there are reasons to be encouraged.
He can throw the ball downfield with some zip, but also enough touch to make his passes very catchable. He also is a pretty accurate passer. He can make some big plays.
Sanders was 23 for 42 passing for 364 yards and three TDs. He also ran for a touchdown.
You can put an asterisk next to it because Tennessee (now 2-11) entered the day with the NFL’s worst record. But I’m at the point where I’ll take any QB cracks of sunshine in the gloom of this 3-10 season.
The fact is this game is the best – by far – of any Cleveland QB performance in 2025. That means something.
I can close my eyes and see Sanders throw a gutsy 13-yard pass into the end zone. Sanders was blasted by the Tennessee defense as he released the ball. Harold Fannin Jr. leaped and caught the ball, wrestling it away from a Tennessee defender.
Fannin has a chance to become a Pro Bowl tight end at some point in his career. He already has developed some chemistry with Sanders. Fannin also caught a 35-yard pass from his fellow rookie.
Late in the fourth quarter, Sanders scrambled for a 7-yard TD.
There was a lot to like for his 2 million social media followers and for general Browns fans, too.
Shedeur Sanders took some hits. John Kuntz, cleveland.comThere were mistakes
Sanders threw an interception when he slipped into his bad habit of dropping back … and back … and dropping back even some more.
He was 18 yards behind the line of scrimmage when he threw a pass into the middle of the field. It was intercepted, and eventually led to a Tennessee TD.
When the Browns scored a TD in the fourth quarter, they were going for a 2-point conversion. Sanders looked anxious to take the direct snap from center and dropped it. No points.
Of course, the Browns later compounded the football felony when they were behind 31-29 with 1:03 left. They had just scored another TD. They needed two points to tie the score.
As they lined up for the 2-point conversion, Sanders was on the bench and Quinshon Judkins was in the shotgun.
Trick play time: Rather than have Judkins try to run the ball into the end zone, he ran sideways. It appeared he wanted to flip the ball in the backfield to receiver Gage Larvadian. But Judkins decided against it. Then he threw a desperation sideways pass that had no chance of being caught.
As all that was going on with 63 seconds left in the game, I had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming, ‘WHAT ARE THEY DOING?’ They had two rookies attempting a complicated play in a crucial part of the game.
Sigh.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (L) celebrates his touchdown reception with Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the first half at Huntington Bank Field.John Kuntz, cleveland.comJust a bad day
Sanders played well, and there are reasons to want to see him finish the season at quarterback.
The receivers had some good moments.
But the special-teams blunders … again! I can’t take it!!!
The Browns had a punt blocked, which set up a Tennessee touchdown.
The defense coughed up 184 yards rushing, including a 65-yard TD run. The Browns’ pass coverage too often was soft. They had only a single sack – No. 20 for Myles Garrett.
Tennessee rookie Cam Ward came into the game having been sacked an NFL-high 48 times. The Browns thought they’d be able to pressure him. They thought wrong.
So the day ends with some good things about Sanders, and a lot of mess in the other areas of the team.
The Browns are now 3-10. Since the franchise returned in 1999, it’s the 19th time in 27 years they have lost at least 10 games in a season.