Heading into the Cleveland Browns‘ Week 5 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, there was a new sense of excitement surrounding the franchise. A change at quarterback is what started that excitement.
Dillon Gabriel, the team’s third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, was named the new starting quarterback. He replaced longtime veteran signal caller Joe Flacco, who was off to a sluggish start to the season with the Browns.
While there was much more excitement in Cleveland about the team, the ultimate result remained the same.
Despite a solid showing from Gabriel, the Browns were unable to pull out a win. The Vikings ended up taking the game by a final score of 21-17.
With the loss, Cleveland fell to 1-4 on the season. Once again, the Browns appear to be headed towards a very early pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. That isn’t the worst thing in the world, but fans are frustrated with losing.
Following the latest loss, former Cleveland quarterback Robert Griffin III took to social media to throw a clear shot at head coach Kevin Stefanski.
“The Cleveland Browns had a Rookie QB in Dillon Gabriel making his first career start and threw 2 TDs with no turnovers on foreign soil,” Griffin wrote on X. “Had a rookie running back run for 110 yards. Had a defense force 2 turnovers and get 3 sacks. And still lost. That's a coaching issue.”
Over the last couple of years, Stefanski’s name has been mentioned as a possible hot seat candidate on multiple occasions. He may be viewed as a potential hot seat candidate, but the Browns have given no indication that they’re considering making a change.
To Griffin’s point, Gabriel did more than enough to lead Cleveland to a win. He completed 19 of his 33 passes for 190 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. On the ground, the team ran for 140 yards on 32 carries and the defense played well too.
Honestly, the Browns played their most complete game of the season and still lost. There is good reason to think that coaching was a big part of the loss, but the team did play well. Stefanski simply is the last man remaining to blame for the loss.
It will be interesting to see how the season continues forward in Cleveland. Stefanski doesn’t appear to be skating on thin ice right now, but that could change if the Browns don’t show signs of development. This will be a storyline to watch closely.
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