Shedeur Sanders' preseason debut brings monster TV ratings

by: Nick Schultz 13 minutes ago NickSchultz_7

The Cleveland Browns’ preseason opener drew plenty of attention as Shedeur Sanders made his debut. It also became a huge TV ratings win for NFL Network.

The Browns’ victory over the Carolina Panthers averaged 2.25 million viewers, the NFL announced. That made it the most-watched preseason game since 2015 when the Green Bay Packers took on the New England Patriots.

All told, it was a big Week 1 for NFL Network, which aired eight preseason games. They combined to average 2.1 million viewers on TV and digital – a 44% increase from last year.

Sanders completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in over two quarters of action. At the time of his departure, the Browns had a 21-7 lead over the Carolina Panthers, and Cleveland eventually came away with the 30-10.

It was quite the debut for the former Colorado star, though he said it didn’t necessarily live up to his expectations. He called it an average night , but expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to start after multiple injuries in the Browns quarterback room.

“I would say C+,” Sanders said postgame when asked to grade his play. “It’s passing because we got the win. That’s first and foremost, and that’s extremely important, but Pops said, ‘Take advantage of the opportunity,’ and I don’t feel like I did. So, I feel like I let him down a little bit.

Big Ten CFP expansion

24 to 28 team field?

Read More