During the Cleveland Browns’ next matchup against the Raiders this weekend, Shedeur Sanders will be in the spotlight. After a rough outing against the Ravens, the rookie is already getting a warning ahead of his first NFL start. Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham issued a clear ultimatum for Sanders to be ready for a Maxx Crosby–led defense.

“You can check it, all young quarterbacks think that is the move,” Graham said when asked if the Raiders need to change their approach against Shedeur. ”I’m sure Coach Stefanski, Coach Rees, are working on stepping into the pocket. But all young quarterbacks tend to do that. In college, it’s just different. Maxx Crosby, all those guys. I would stay away from being back there.”

Sanders did not make the debut he envisioned during the Week 11 loss to the Ravens. If he doesn’t fix this mechanical flaw, which Baltimore exposed, he may be in for more trouble. Sanders drifted deep on several snaps, and the Ravens crushed him for it. Their two sacks resulted in a combined 27 yards lost, a disastrous trend for a quarterback making his first in-game NFL adjustments.

Sanders enters this matchup knowing the magnitude of the opportunity, but also the danger lurking on the opposite sideline.  The Browns need stability at quarterback, and Sanders must change his habits fast if he wants to seize the role for himself.

But before the Browns can think about reshaping their offense, their rookie QB must first learn how to survive the one thing Graham says young passers struggle with most: drifting too deep into the pocket.

The Raiders’ unit has allowed the ninth-most points per game and carries a 2-8 record, but Crosby alone can change the game. If Sanders can survive him and deliver a composed performance, he could dramatically shift public perception and strengthen his future within the Browns’ organization.

A lot of Sanders’ troubles last week stemmed not just from pressure, but from how disastrously he responded to it. He went 0-for-6 against the blitz. He routinely missed open checkdowns, panicked when his first read vanished, and held the ball far too long.

Was Shedeur Sanders alone to blame for his poor outing against Baltimore?

Sanders’ debut was marred by brutal conditions: 20 m.p.h. winds, the best defense in football over the last month, and no prior reps with the first-team offense. Kevin Stefanski later confirmed Sanders had not practiced with the starters at all before the Ravens game, which, in retrospect, is stunning given the Browns’ yearly quarterback carousel.

Even still, Cleveland failed to help him. They dropped back to pass 75% of the time with Sanders, including 65% in neutral situations, far higher than their season trend. They used motion just 25% of the time, their lowest mark of the year, denying Sanders key pre-snap clues against a ferocious defense. And the Browns remain dead last in average target separation, giving him little margin for error.

Now, even though the Raiders do not have the best record in the league, their defense is still elite, with Crosby leading them, and once again, Sanders may have a great outing if he does not get support from his own team.