CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Browns’ quarterback situation reached critical mass this week following another dismal offensive performance in the loss to the Lions.
The Browns made the switch, and have decided to start rookie Dillon Gabriel, with Joe Flacco moving into the backup role.
But as cleveland.com columnist Terry Pluto and host David Campbell discussed on this week’s Terry’s Talkin’ podcast, the problems run much deeper than who’s taking snaps.
At 1-3, with an offense that can’t consistently protect the quarterback or score points, the debate rages about whether a quarterback change would make any difference at all.
“I look at the rush and things that Flacco’s dealt with, and I can’t imagine that this is going to suddenly be just great for Dillon Gabriel,” Pluto said during the podcast. “I mean, you can put them out there and see how it goes. But the thing is, if you play the kid, then you got to play the kid for several games.”
The offensive line’s struggles have been the dominant storyline of the Browns’ season. Against Detroit, Joe Flacco was hit 10 times as the coaching staff repeatedly left backup tackle Cornelius Lucas III isolated against one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers, Aidan Hutchinson. Lance Reisland, cleveland.com’s football film analyst, said that he counted 17 times that Lucas was alone vs. Hutchinson.
This coaching decision harkened back to a pivotal moment in Baker Mayfield’s Browns career. In 2021 against Pittsburgh, rookie tackle James Hudson II was left on an island against the Steelers’ T.J. Watt, with disastrous results. After that game, Mayfield publicly questioned why the rookie wasn’t given more help, a comment that may have accelerated his departure from Cleveland.
The question becomes whether throwing Gabriel into this offense as it’s built would be setting him up for failure rather than development.
“And so playing Dylan Gabriel does what?” Pluto asked rhetorically, suggesting that a quarterback change wouldn’t address the fundamental issues plaguing the offense.
The podcast highlights a broader organizational issue – the Browns have struggled to protect their quarterbacks, regardless of who’s taking snaps. Whether it’s Flacco, Gabriel, or someone else, until the protection schemes improve, the results are likely to remain the same.
With the Browns heading to London to face the Vikings on Sunday, Gabriel will be walking into a challenging situation.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
If you have a question or a topic you’d like to see included on the podcast, email it to sports@cleveland.com, and put “Terry’s Talkin’” in the subject line.
You can find previous podcasts below.
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