Shedeur Sanders forced to celebrate Deshaun Watson’s heroics again

Not even the most respected NFL analyst, or the most optimistic Browns fan, could have predicted Cleveland sitting atop the AFC North at this point in the season. Yet Todd Monken's team has found a way to win, climbing to the top of the division behind Deshaun Watson, not rookieShedeur Sanders.

Before the season began, the battle for the starting quarterback job was one of the biggest storylines surrounding the Browns. In the end, Cleveland committed to Watson as its QB1, leaving the former Colorado star to watch games from the sideline.

That hasn't stopped Sanders from being one of the league's biggest attractions. The son of Deion Sanders remains one of the NFL's most talked-about rookies, and even without seeing the field, his every move continues to draw attention.

Shedeur Sanders' celebration with Deshaun Watson

After Watson engineered another game-winning drive against the Baltimore Ravens, Sanders was among the first teammates to greet him on the sideline.

The rookie embraced Watson following the final offensive possession that set up the game-winning field goal, a moment that quickly caught the attention of fans on social media and highlighted the chemistry between the Browns' quarterbacks despite the preseason competition.

Browns reach rare milestone

Cleveland now owns a 4-2 record and sits alone atop the AFC North for the first time this deep into a season in 12 years, a remarkable turnaround for a franchise that had not controlled the division at this stage since 2014.

The victory also carried extra meaning for head coach Todd Monken, who defeated his former team after spending the previous three seasons as Baltimore's offensive coordinator. It also allowed Cleveland to bounce back from last week's loss to the New York Jets, avoiding a two-game deficit behind the Ravens in the division race.

The Browns had briefly moved into first place after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4, but Sunday's win restored their position atop the standings and reinforced what has become their best start in more than a decade.

With victories over both Pittsburgh and Baltimore, Cleveland is now 2-0 against AFC North opponents, giving the Browns an early advantage in a division race that still has 11 games remaining.

The last time Cleveland led the AFC North this late in the year, Mike Pettine was the head coach and Brian Hoyer was the starting quarterback.

That 2014 Browns team improved to 6-3 after beating the Cincinnati Bengals 24-3, and Pittsburgh's loss to the Jets a few days later left Cleveland alone in first place. It marked the franchise's first outright division lead in November since 1994.

That season, however, ended in disappointment. After reaching 7-4, the Browns lost their final five games to finish 7-9, missing the playoffs entirely.

This year's team is hoping history doesn't repeat itself.