Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel looked solid in his first NFL start for Cleveland on Sunday against Minnesota at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
However, the Vikings scored a late touchdown to win 21-17.
Gabriel completed 19 of 33 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. The second scoring pass put the Browns ahead 17-14 with 3:04 remaining in the third quarter.
From that point on, the rookie who led the Ducks to the 2024 Big Ten championship struggled to move the Browns.
The Vikings managed to break through with an 80-yard scoring drive that led to a 12-yard touchdown reception from wide receiver Jordan Addison with 25 seconds remaining.
During the week, Oregon coach Dan Lanning expressed excitement for Gabriel and believed he would make the most of his opportunity.
“He’s a guy that works extremely hard and I know he won’t take it for granted,” Lanning said. “He’s still done an unbelievable job of staying connected with our players here, which is pretty awesome for a guy that’s moved on to the next phase of his life, that still touches base with our team.”
The Browns selected Gabriel in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft. He began the season as the backup to veteran starter Joe Flacco, who struggled in his first four starts for the 1-4 Browns.
Gabriel joined three other former Oregon quarterbacks who started games this season. Starter Justin Herbert leads the Los Angeles Chargers, while Bo Nix is the Denver Broncos’ starter.
Marcus Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner, started two games in place of injured Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Cleveland’s next game is 10 a.m., next Sunday at Pittsburgh.
. . .
No. 2 Oregon (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 8 Indiana (5-0, 2-0)
When: Saturday, Oct. 11
Time: 12:30 p.m. PT
Where: Autzen Stadium, Eugene
TV: You can watch this game live for free with Fubo (free trial), with DirecTV (free trial) or streaming live on demand with Paramount Plus.
Stream: DirecTV (free trial) or Fubo (promotional offers) or Paramount+ (free trial) or Sling (college football season pass is just $199). Streaming broadcasts for this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.