Gabriel finished his first NFL start completing 19 of 33 passing attempts for 190 passing yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked twice for a loss of eight yards but did not throw an interception.
The Browns struggled to convert on third down, going 3 of 15 on third-down attempts, and Gabriel noted the importance of those third downs to extend drives. He felt a level of responsibility and said those plays start with him, but that it also takes the offense coming together to convert on third down. Stefanski also described those missed conversions each resulting from a combination of factors.
"I thought by and large he was getting through progressions," Stefanski said. "There are things that I know he can do better, that he knew when he was walking off the field. So, he's got very good self-awareness and those types of things. But that was a very good pass defense that we were facing, both from a coverage and a pass rush standpoint. So, I thought he did a good job of taking care of the football, moving in the pocket when he needed to."
Gabriel's performance in Week 5 paralleled his preseason start against the Eagles, demonstrating the same level of poise and process-driven approach he illustrated then. He used his preseason start, as well as when he entered Week 2 and Week 4 late in the fourth quarter, as turns that he built on to be comfortable and confident in certain situations.
Now, as he enters into a more normalized schedule in preparation for the Steelers in Week 6 on the road, Gabriel is taking the lessons he learned from his first start with him.
"I think there's always something to build on," Gabriel said. "No moral victories whatsoever, but I think regardless of result, week to week, there's a process. And the more time you spend around anyone, you're going to get more continuity. That's key with your receiver, that's key with your running back, that's key as a whole unit coming together really and getting comfortable with our unit."