Cleveland Browns 30, Carolina Panthers 10

With several players in the Cleveland Browns’ carousel of quarterbacks nursing injuries, Shedeur Sanders was afforded a valuable opportunity.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski handed the fifth-round pick — a surprise descriptor for a passer many thought would be drafted in the first round — the keys to the Browns’ offense for three quarters against the Carolina Panthers in preseason Week 1.

And Sanders didn’t waver. He shook off some early rust to take command of Cleveland’s offense, throwing for two touchdowns, making two big-time throws and earning a solid 67.9 PFF passing grade, pending reviews, in his team’s 30-10 win over the Panthers.

Former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young picked up where he left off in 2024 across two drives, logging two big-time throws on a 73-yard series that ended in a touchdown to Jalen Coker. Rookie first-rounder Tetairoa McMillan accounted for 43 of those yards — 30 of which came on a sensational over-the-shoulder throw and catch.

PFF’s dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The comprehensive grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST.

In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.

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PLAYER OF THE GAME

The Browns will be thrilled with what Carson Schwesinger displayed in his first NFL action. With Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah lost for the season due to injury, Schwesinger will be needed for a starting role, and the second-rounder proved more than capable on 13 snaps Friday night.

The rookie second-round pick made three run stops on just five run-defense snaps, leading to a game-high PFF run-defense grade, pending reviews. His night ended after one quarter, but that was all he needed to announce himself to the league.

BOX SCORE

	Browns	Panthers
Total points	30	10
Total offensive plays	66	53
Average EPA per play	0.083	-0.224
Total net yards	308	251
Avg yards per play	4.7	4.7
Total first downs	20	13
Rushing first downs	9	1
Passing first downs	10	11
Penalty first downs	1	1
Third-down efficiency	40%	33%
Fourth-down efficiency	13%	0%
Possessions	12	11
Avg plays per drive	6.3	5.4
Avg yards per drive	23.7	20.9
Avg points per drive	2.3	0.8
Red zone possessions	5	2
Red-zone plays	12	5
Red-zone TDs	4	1
Red-zone FGs	1	1
Red-zone scoring efficiency	100%	100%

SNAP COUNTS & PLAYER PARTICIPATION