Browns Fans Want Dillon Gabriel to Stay, but Todd Monken Appears to Have Other Plans
The Cleveland Browns may have settled their starting quarterback decision, but Dillon Gabriel gave the team another reason to reconsider how it views the rest of its quarterback room.
With Deshaun Watson already named the starter, Gabriel delivered Cleveland’s most impressive quarterback performance of the preseason during Thursday’s 37-13 win over the New England Patriots.
Dillon Gabriel leads five straight scoring drives
Gabriel completed 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. He led five consecutive scoring drives without throwing an interception, prompting Kirk Herbstreit to make his position clear.
“There’s no way, see, this was not a one-night Dillon Gabriel thing for me,” Herbstreit said during Amazon Prime’s broadcast. “I’ve seen this kid do exactly what he did tonight almost every start he made in college, whether it was at UCF, Oklahoma or Oregon.”
He added: “I don’t know how you let him go, personally. There is no way I would let him leave.”
More than preseason statistics
Gabriel’s performance stood out because of how effectively Cleveland’s offense operated with him in control. The Browns scored on all five of their first-half possessions, producing three touchdowns and two field goals.
Gabriel repeatedly put the offense in favorable situations, including a 52-yard completion to Ben Patterson after rolling left out of the pocket. He also connected with Luke Floriea for two touchdowns and found Ahmani Marshall for another score on third-and-goal.
“What a great half, happy for him,” Monken said. “Guys played well around him. Certainly took advantage of the opportunity.”
That opportunity came at a significant moment. Watson has already been named Cleveland’s starter, but the decision has drawn scrutiny after Browns fans booed him during the preseason.
Shedeur Sanders has also received significant public support, making the Browns’ quarterback room one of the most closely watched in the NFL.
Gabriel’s performance reflects his college career
The strongest part of Herbstreit’s argument was that Thursday’s performance did not change his opinion of Gabriel. Instead, it reinforced it.
The broadcaster pointed to what Gabriel showed during his college career at three different programs, arguing that the poise and efficiency displayed against New England were consistent with the quarterback he had already seen.
Former NFL defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko offered an even stronger assessment.
“The best quarterback play of the Browns preseason we saw tonight,” Fehoko wrote. “Dillon Gabriel is the guy who got screwed in this QB competition.”
Whether Monken is interested in reopening the Week 1 decision remains unclear. Gabriel did, however, make one part of the discussion harder to ignore.
If Cleveland does not view him as the starter right now, the Browns still must determine how highly they value keeping him on the roster.
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