When the Raiders play the Browns in Week 12, they will face QB Shedeur Sanders, who is making his first regular season start.
While the Raiders have limited film on Sanders with the Browns – as he played the second half of Week 11 against the Ravens after QB Dillon Gabriel exited the game with a concussion – Raiders QB Geno Smith is familiar with Sanders on a personal level. Smith said that him and Sanders have known one another since Sanders was in high school. On Nov. 23, the two friends will start against one another and hope to lead their respective teams to a win.
"I'm happy for my guy, man," Smith said. "[Shedeur Sanders is] a guy who I've been talking to for a long time and just happy to see him getting a shot. But unfortunately, it's against us, but happy to see him get a shot."
In Sanders' first NFL start, he will face a Raiders' defense coached by defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. DE Maxx Crosby spearheads the defense, leading the Raiders with six sacks and is third in the NFL with 14 tackles for loss. Graham said that Sanders needs to stay inside the pocket with a player like Crosby on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
Sanders' first regular season action offered him a glimpse of what challenges can come if he doesn't stay in the pocket, being sacked twice by the Ravens in Week 11. Graham and the Raiders' defense will look to apply pressure and find their way into the backfield. While it will be Sanders' first start, Graham identified qualities he has that could present an issue for Las Vegas.
"The thing that stood out to me, there are leadership traits," Graham said. "Obviously, the lineage from his father, great player, so he has been around good football his whole life, knows football. Then, when you watch the tape that stands out, I mean, he can make the throws. There's some throws, even last week, some throws in the preseason, that were pretty good."
Browse photos of the Cleveland Browns practicing at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus as they prepare for their Week 12 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Offensive guard Joel Bitonio (75) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Cornerback Tyson Campbell (7) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Defensive tackle Mason Graham (94) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Running back Quinshon Judkins (10) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Gage Larvadain (84) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Kaden Davis (89) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Running back Raheim Sanders (35) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
A helmet during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Defensive tackle Mason Graham (94) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Safety Rayshawn Jenkins (5) and Cornerback Myles Harden (26) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Cornerback Myles Harden (26) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Malachi Corley (83) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Cleats during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Defensive end K.J. Henry (90) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
A Gatorade bottles during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Quarterback Bailey Zappe (11) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Running back Raheim Sanders (35) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Gage Larvadain (84) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Running back Dylan Sampson (22) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Defensive end K.J. Henry (90) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Cornerback Tyson Campbell (7) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Malachi Corley (83) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Malachi Corley (83) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Linebacker Jerome Baker (17) and Linebacker Eugene Asante (36) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Cornerback Dee Williams (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Cornerback Sam Webb (27) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (64) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Safeties Coach Ephraim Banda during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Running back Dylan Sampson (22) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Assistant Special Teams Coach Kyle Hoke during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Luke Floriea (81) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Safety Rayshawn Jenkins (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Defensive back D'Angelo Ross (20) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Coordinator of Team Logistics Wat Adair during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Assistant Wide Receivers Coach Stephen Bravo-Brown during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Running back Quinshon Judkins (10) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Offensive guard Zak Zinter (70) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
A Gatorade bottle during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) and Running back Dylan Sampson (22) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Offensive tackle Tyre Phillip (69) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Defensive tackle Maliek Collins (96) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Malachi Corley (83) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Tight end Blake Whiteheart (86) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Linebacker Eugene Asante (36) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Defensive back D'Angelo Ross (20) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Running back Quinshon Judkins (10) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Defensive end Cameron Thomas (99) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Luke Floriea (81) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Kaden Davis (89) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Jamari Thrash (80) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Assistant Groundskeeper Shaun Card and Kicker Andre Szmyt (25) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Dale Jones during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Kaden Davis (89) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Gage Larvadain (84) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Defensive tackle Maliek Collins (96) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Defensive tackle Maliek Collins (96) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Sports Medicine Fellow Nandit Patel during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Luke Floriea (81) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) and Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Assistant Groundskeeper Shaun Card during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Offensive tackle Jack Conklin (78) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Assistant Wide Receivers Coach Stephen Bravo-Brown during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Running back Quinshon Judkins (10) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Gage Larvadain (84) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Assistant Special Teams Coach Kyle Hoke during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Tight end Brenden Bates (82) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Running back Dylan Sampson (22) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Gage Larvadain (84) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
The scenery during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold (42) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Luke Floriea (81) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
The linebackers during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Equipment Intern Sasoun Tcholakian during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Defensive tackle Maliek Collins (96) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Defensive tackle Mason Graham (94) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Defensive Quality Control Coach Jeff Anderson during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Safety Rayshawn Jenkins (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (43) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Performance Science Fellow Jeremy Portillo during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Linebackers Coach Jason Tarver during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 19, 2025.
Linebacker Devin Bush (30) and Linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 20, 2025.
As Sanders makes his start, RB Quinshon Judkins will be there to help lend him support in the run game. Judkins leads all rookie running backs with 620 rushing yards and is tied for the lead in touchdowns with five. He has 73.3 percent of the carries among Cleveland's running backs, leading the workload for the Browns. Judkins has found gaps to run through, gaining 3.9 yards per carry and is tied for second in the NFL with four 30-plus yard runs.
"I mean, great vision, great patience, how he presses the line of scrimmage to make the second level commit, and once you do that, then he has been able to find holes," Graham said. "Most running backs, they've been toting that ball since they were little kids, so they got a lot of reps, a lot of reps in terms of where the vision needs to be and finding holes. And you can see it with him. He's pretty exceptional."
Graham said he is expecting head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees to lean on Judkins with Sanders starting at quarterback. Graham said that the rookie running back has run behind an offensive line group who have chemistry with one another. Former All-Pro guards Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller and T Jack Conklin have opened running lanes for Judkins.
"The one thing you know they're going to rely on is the run game and that back," Graham said. "I mean, it's going to be interesting to see how they deploy (their offensive line), but you know one thing for sure is that they're going to be confident about their run game. They have a pretty good scheme. (Kevin Stefanski's) always had a pretty good scheme running the ball."
Judkins' production and the Browns' offensive line can allow Cleveland to establish the offense in Sanders' first start. Judkins having success running the ball will force the defense to account for the run and open up passing lanes for Sanders.
As the Browns' offense is on the field, Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty will be watching from the sideline. Jeanty went through the pre-draft process and was evaluated alongside Judkins and Sanders. Jeanty said he got to know Sanders throughout that time and said that he was excited for his draftmate to start. While Jeanty will be safe on the sideline, he knows Sanders will be the focus of the Raiders.
"Should be a great opportunity for him, but I know my defense is going to come ready to attack him," Jeanty said.
