The Cleveland Browns finally got a big win last week when they dismantled the Miami Dolphins 31-6 behind four forced turnovers on defense and three rushing touchdowns from Quinshon Judkins.
While rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel was able to get his first win behind another turnover-free afternoon, one former player still has an alarming concern about him.
During a recent episode of The Top Dawgs Show, Phil Taylor suggested that we will likely never see Gabriel throw downfield because he can’t see over the line.
“I honestly think we’ll never really see with Gabriel those long throws downfield because he can’t stand in the pocket and see over the line,” Taylor said.
"He can't stand in the pocket and see over the line." #DawgPound@PhilTaylor98 and the group haven't seen ENOUGH out of Dillon Gabriel thus far. Is Kevin Stefanski limiting the playbook for him?
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— The Top Dawgs Show (@TopDawgShow) October 23, 2025
Gabriel not throwing deep balls yet could be due to a multitude of issues, and while certainly it could be because he has struggled to stay in the pocket and see over the line, it could also be because the offensive line has been shaky due to injuries, and the team simply doesn’t have the personnel at wide receiver to consistently get open deep downfield.
Explosive receivers and a sturdy offensive line are crucial for throwing deep balls because if Gabriel doesn’t have enough time to hang in the pocket and give plays time to develop deep down the field, those throws won’t be available for him.
Throwing deep obviously wasn’t in the game plan against Miami because of how easily the Browns were able to run the ball and control the clock, nor was it a possibility against the Pittsburgh Steelers the previous week when Gabriel was running for his life after every snap.
Perhaps it will be as he gets more comfortable, and if he can eventually start gaining confidence and ripping throws downfield, it could open up this offense even more.
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