PHILADELPHIA – In the four-man battle for the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback job, rookie Dillon Gabriel needed a standout performance Saturday against the Eagles. Instead, the third-round pick delivered a mixed bag, showing flashes of poise punctuated by crucial mistakes that raise questions about if he, Shedeur Sanders, Joe Flacco, or Kenny Pickett, will win the job after the Browns’ 22-13 preseason victory.
The Browns’ third-round selection completed 13 of 18 passes for 143 yards and an interception while rushing for one yard and getting sacked twice. Gabriel looked poised early, controlling the offense and even aligning wide receiver Jamari Thrash into the right spot. He threw the ball in rhythm, completing all four passes on the first drive for 29 yards.
Gabriel said he still needs to review game tape from Saturday’s performance, but there were bright spots, such as the offense putting up 194 yards of total offense in the first half, compared to the Eagles’ 38.
“I think just continuing to learn from some things that can’t happen like turnovers,” Gabriel said. “Other than that, there were flashes of being very consistent and clean as an offense. I think as long as we consistently work at that and try to put more of those kinds of drives together, you see our defense playing really well and just putting each other in better positions.”
Beyond the game, Gabriel was dealing with a comment that blew up on social media. Gabriel’s competition took an unexpected turn when his sideline comments about “entertainers and competitors” exploded on social media, with many interpreting the remarks as a shot at Sanders. Gabriel clarified the remarks, saying they were directed toward the media, not his teammate.
“All you in this room are entertainers and you have a job to do, and I respect it, and I’m a competitor, so I have a job to do as well,” Gabriel said. “That’s just what I’ve lived by. I’ve said that multiple times, so definitely not a new quote, but something that I’ve definitely said.”
Most of Gabriel’s yardage came through the short passing game, completing passes within 15 yards and allowing his receivers to pick up yards after the catch. His best throw came in the late second quarter on a 29-yard pass to Kaden Davis that was delivered downfield with zip, though he looked off and late on a throw to Diontae Johnson. Then came two turnovers that led to 13 Eagles points.
On the interception, it appeared Browns tight end Blake Whiteheart and wide receiver Diontae Johnson didn’t help Gabriel by being in the same area during a scramble drill, allowing Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba to cut between them for the interception and 75-yard touchdown return. There was also a fumbled handoff to running back Pierre Strong Jr. that Mukuba recovered.
Although Gabriel looked like a solid game manager with the Browns’ reserves Saturday, projecting his future success with the first-team offense raises questions. Sanders, the team’s fifth-round pick in this year’s draft who started in the Browns’ first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers last week, did not have the same completion numbers as Gabriel (14 of 23, 60.9%) but showed potential to make big plays by buying time with his scrambling. He also threw two touchdowns without an interception. Sanders didn’t play Saturday because of an oblique injury but threw passes during pregame warmups.
Gabriel said he was not thinking about how Saturday’s performance influenced his standing on the depth chart.
“I’m not worried about that at all,” Gabriel said. “I’m just focused on a day at a time. At the end of the day, some decision will be made that’s best for the team and that’ll be it.”
Gabriel emphasized his daily approach to improvement. “I’m just focused on being the best version of myself, contributing to our team, our quarterback room to be the best, and that takes every single day and one day at a time, so that’s way down the road.”
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Gabriel and the offense weren’t perfect but made some noteworthy big plays.
“We have plenty to clean up,” Stefanski said. “There are some things that I thought he did well. I thought our offense as a whole on third down was very good early, which allowed us to stay on the field because I don’t think we were great on first and second down.”
Stefanski said he intends to treat the final preseason game Aug. 25 against the Los Angeles Rams at home as a dress rehearsal, hoping Gabriel, Sanders, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett would all be available to play for one last chance to prove themselves. Regarding where the competition stood between Gabriel and Sanders, Stefanski sidestepped pitting the two against each other.
“I’m obviously not going to compare our players other than to say I’m pleased with both those guys and where they are in their progression,” Stefanski said. “They have the mentality that they’re going to get better every single day, which I appreciate. That’s really where our focus is.”
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.
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