Dillon Gabriel, who was barely on anyone’s radar in the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition, just dropped a near-perfect 157.9 passer rating in the preseason finale against the New England Patriots. This guy was a third-round pick last year, but Deshaun Watson was QB1 all offseason, and Shedeur Sanders was supposedly the one competing for the job. Gabriel, though? Seemed like an afterthought, until Thursday night.
Gabriel Went Off While the Starters Sat
With Watson and Sanders sitting out, Gabriel got the start in the Browns’ third preseason game and absolutely torched the Patriots in the first half. He went 12 of 15 for a whopping 186 yards, threw three touchdowns, and didn’t have a single interception. That 157.9 passer rating? It was just a hair short of a perfect 158.3. Browns coach Todd Monken was hyped, saying during an Amazon Prime Video interview at halftime, “What a great half, happy for him. Guys played well around him. Certainly took advantage of his opportunity.” This performance was on a national broadcast, too, making it even more of a statement.
Making the Case With Smart Decisions
What stood out from Gabriel’s performance was how he played. He showed he understands where to go with the ball, makes super quick decisions, and delivers short, accurate passes right to his playmakers. He might not have a cannon arm and doesn’t usually push it downfield, but he proved he’s got more than just short passes in his bag. He even rolled out for one intermediate completion that exploded into a 52-yard gain! His three touchdowns were all pretty similar: quick passes into open spots, letting his targets do the work to get into the end zone. That’s smart football.
Watson was an unpopular pick for the Week 1 starter, and Sanders just didn’t do enough to lock it down. Now, with Gabriel’s big night, there’s gotta be some serious chatter around Cleveland about whether he should have gotten a longer look earlier. The Browns have committed to Watson, and they aren’t turning back from that decision for Week 1. But with what Gabriel showed, he’s absolutely made a compelling case to be one of their starting quarterbacks if the situation arises later this season. The season’s just kicking off, and Gabriel is already making waves for what could be down the line.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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