Kevin Stefanski mum on Browns' Week 13 starting quarterback after Shedeur Sanders wins debut

The Cleveland Browns have a decision to make at quarterback, and on the heels of their 24-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, coach Kevin Stefanski is not ready to name his starter for Week 13. Shedeur Sanders delivered in the victory in Las Vegas, leading a young offense to a win in his starting debut, but Dillon Gabriel looms as a candidate to return to the starting role upon his recovery from a concussion.

Stefanski declined to commit to Sanders in the immediate wake of his 11-for-20 performance against the Raiders. While the rookie passed for 209 yards and his first career touchdown and guided the Browns to their first win in over a month, his coach would not make a snap decision on whether that was enough to earn another look in the starting lineup.

"I'm not going to get into that," Stefanski said after the game. "Obviously proud of him, proud of this offense. There are a ton of things to learn from, but I'm just going to worry about today."

Sanders became the first Browns quarterback since 1995 to win his first start. Cleveland signal-callers were 0-17 in their debuts dating back to 1999 before the former Colorado Buffaloes star snapped the dreadful streak. Whether he will have a chance to build a winning streak comes down to a decision Stefanski will make later in the week.

"I'm always going to take my time and do what's best for the football team," Stefanski said.

The starting debut was a colossal step forward for Sanders, who was abysmal in the second half of the Week 11 loss to the Baltimore Ravens when he filled in for the injured Gabriel. But even in a victorious effort, the first-year quarterback showed room for improvement. He had multiple bad misses, including an interception, and completed just 55% of his throws against one of the weakest opponents the NFL has to offer.

"He did a nice job," Stefanski said. "I thought he saw it clearly. With young players, are there going to be things that he can do better? Absolutely. But that's what it is when you're playing with young players. There's improvements to be made."

Although Sanders is 1-0 as a starter and delivered a couple of explosive plays to what has all year been a middling offense, Gabriel also represents a promising young option for the Browns. His six-game run as the leader of the offense came with just one win but was largely competitive, and he was on track to defeat the Ravens before he exited with a concussion.

Gabriel, whom the Browns selected two rounds ahead of Sanders, offers more in the way of dual-threat ability and rushed for positive yardage in all but one of his starts. He is a 59.2% passer on the year with a solid seven touchdowns to two interceptions.