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Browns–Raiders: The Truth About Shedeur, Garrett, and Vegas’ Path to a Win
Inside Shedeur’s debut, the matchup Vegas can exploit, and Matt Perrault’s best bets.
Jesse Merrick
November 21, 2025
In partnership with
QUOTE OF THE DAY"I watched a lot of him, the majority of him. I know his family really well; they’re great people. So yeah, always rooted for him, it’s cool. I’m happy for him, he’s getting his first start…we gotta get after him.” — Maxx Crosby on facing Shedeur Sanders. |  Photo Courtesy: Arnie Bazemore/Fan Shotz |
In today’s newsletter, we’re diving deep into Browns–Raiders — and there’s a lot to unpack. What does Shedeur Sanders actually bring to Cleveland’s offense? Where are his strengths, his blind spots, and how might the Browns try to build a game plan around him in his first start?
We’re also breaking down the keys to the game, including the surprising area where Cleveland’s defense is most vulnerable. And as always, we’ve got Raiders Rounders, where Matt Perrault drops his best Raiders bets heading into the weekend.
If you want to go into Sunday smarter than every Browns fan you know, you’re in the right place.
BROWNS VS. RAIDERS PREVIEW
The latest SBSN Podcast is a full scouting report on Browns–Raiders. I sat down with Chris Renkel (NBC Cleveland)to break down what Shedeur Sanders actually brings to Cleveland’s offense — and how the Browns could tailor their entire game plan around his strengths. We also get into the matchups they’ll likely target against the Raiders’ defense.
Then we flip the field: Chris lays out exactly why Myles Garrett is such a nightmare… and the one weak spot in the Browns’ defense he believes the Raiders can attack.
If you want the smartest, most complete preview of Browns–Raiders anywhere this week, this episode is it.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. STOP THE RUN
In both of Cleveland’s wins, Quinshon Judkins rushed for 84+ yards and scored at least once.
If the Raiders take away the Browns’ run game, they force Shedeur Sanders to beat them through the air — exactly where you want the game to go.
2. KEEP THE BROWNS’ DEFENSIVE LINE OFF BALANCE
Cleveland is tied for 4th in the league in sacks.
Myles Garrett, Mason Graham, and Maliek Collins all rank top-15 at their positions in pass-rush win rate.
If the Raiders take the same one-dimensional approach they used against Dallas, this group will feast. They need to run the ball and stay balanced to keep the Browns honest.
3. SLOW MYLES GARRETT DOWN
Garrett has 10 sacks in his last three games — that alone tells the story.
The Raiders have left Stone Forsythe and DJ Glaze on an island more than 60% of the time this year (See the tweet below). That cannot happen against Garrett.
Vegas needs consistent help on the edge, or Garrett will take over the entire game.
FACING SHEDEUR
Shedeur Sanders, making his first career NFL start, has made headlines all week long. By now, you’ve been bombarded by it, and yes, this is similar to Tebowmania, and if his last name weren’t Sanders, nobody would care. But the reality is, he is Deion’s son, and he’s been a topic of discussion ever since draft night, so a lot of people will be watching how he fares this weekend against the Raiders.
When a rookie makes their first start, there will always be some unknowns, even more so when that first start comes in week 12. When we spoke to Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham about preparing for Sanders, he was well aware of what Shedeur brings to the table.
“I mean, the thing that stood out to me, there's leadership traits. I remember, at either the combine or he came to visit, leadership traits. Obviously, the lineage from his father, great player, so he's 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. I mean, there's some throws, even last week, some throws in the preseason that were pretty good. The one down the red area, where or two, I think, in the red area, he found him on broken plays or loose plays. He does a good job. He can throw the football, can definitely do that."
When he was in college, Shedeur did a great job avoiding pressure and throwing on the move, but struggled when he was tasked with throwing the deep ball.
“However, he tends to hold the ball for much too long on deep drops. He doesn’t always trust his reads and will miss some on-schedule opportunities, extending plays unnecessarily and getting himself into trouble.”
According to Sports Info Solutions, Shedeur’s on-target percentage on all throws in his final season was 79 percent, but on deep drops, it fell to 63.4 percent. This could be one of the reasons the Raiders are expecting more of a dink and dunk approach from the Browns with Shedeur at the helm.
The best marketing ideas come from marketers who live it.
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The Marketing Millennials is a look inside what’s working right now for other marketers. No theory. No fluff. Just real insights and ideas you can actually use—from marketers who’ve been there, done that, and are sharing the playbook.
Every newsletter is written by Daniel Murray, a marketer obsessed with what goes into great marketing. Expect fresh takes, hot topics, and the kind of stuff you’ll want to steal for your next campaign.
Because marketing shouldn’t feel like guesswork. And you shouldn’t have to dig for the good stuff.
MISS ANYTHING?
Catch up on some of our recent stories:
 Raiders-Cowboys Keys + Stokes’ Surprising Surge— The Raiders’ path to victory vs. Dallas, plus Eric Stokes’ resurgence. |  What’s Wrong With the Raiders Offense? + Cowboys MNF Preview— Offensive issues, JPJ’s replacement, Cowboys preview & our best bets — all inside. |
RAIDERS ROUNDERS
THE BEST BETS OF THE WEEK FOR THE BROWNS VS. RAIDERS GAME
Photo Courtesy: Arnie Bazemore/Fan Shotz
We’ve rolled out something new for Raider Nation this season: Raiders Rounders. Each week, I team up with betting analyst Matt Perrault (The Bostonian vs The Book, The Daily Juice) to spotlight the best Raiders bets of the week and a few smart plays from around the NFL. Think of it as the perfect mix of insider football talk and betting insight, giving you a sharper look at how Vegas views the Silver & Black — from player props to game lines — and where the edges might be heading into Sunday.
With that in mind, here are our best plays for the Raiders’ Week 12 matchup against the Browns:
Browns +4: Matt took this one earlier in the week and most of the lines we’re seeing now are at +3.5. He said even at +3.5 he’d still take the Browns so look around and see what you can get.
Under 36.5
Maxx Crosby over 1.5 sacks: He knows this one might be hard to find but shop around and see if anyone has a sack prop for Maxx. If you can find it at 1.5, Matt says hammer that.
Matt hit on the Cowboys at -3.5 last week, and cashed in on Tyler Lockett over 27.5 rushing/receiving yards, too.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Raiders Rounders is all about sharing our perspective on the game. These aren’t betting recommendations — any wagers you place are 100% your responsibility. Bet responsibly.
FANSHOTZ FRIDAY
Photo Courtesy: Arnie Bazemore/Fan Shotz
By now, you have seen the phenomenal photos we’ve been using in many of our newsletters. They’re some of the best shots you’ll find of your favorite team, captured through the lens of our friend Arnie Bazemore of Fanshotz.com. Every Friday, we’ll feature Arnie’s favorite Raiders shot of the week that he captures at practice or on game day. This week, we’re featuring a shot Arnie snagged of Maxx Crosby as he chased down Dak Prescott for that strip sack in last week’s game. Check out his work at his site linked above and reach out if you’re interested in working with him. He’s a great guy and has been so supportive of me over the years when I was at NBC here in Vegas, and he’s come along for the ride with Silver & Black Sports Network, too.
WHAT’S NEXT?
We’ll be out at Raiders HQ today bringing you everything from the practice facility.
Stay plugged in: Follow along on all our social channels for live updates and takeaways from practice, the locker room, and Pete Carroll’s final press conference of the week.
Don’t miss our next podcast on Sunday: As soon as we wrap up locker room interviews, we’ll be taping our postgame podcast. Make sure you’re subscribed to us on YouTube so you don’t miss our instant reaction and analysis straight from the field at Allegiant Stadium after this weekend’s game against the Browns.
*Programming note for anyone who listens to our podcast regularly. We taped the Friday podcast but had some major audio issues on my end, so we won’t be releasing it today. I’m going to get that sorted out over the weekend so it’s not an issue going forward. Luckliy I use a different mic on gamedays so we’ll still be good to go for our postgame reaction podcast from the stadium.
Catch ya next time,
Silver & Black Sports Network is an independent media outlet. We are not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by the Las Vegas Raiders or the NFL.
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