The Cleveland Browns got their first win with Dillon Gabriel as their starting quarterback.
However, it’s hard to make much of what the rookie has done in his three starts, as head coach Kevin Stefanski has kept his offense conservative.
Also, with inclement conditions and the defense taking over, the Browns were in control throughout their Week 7 win against the Miami Dolphins.
With that in mind, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report gave Gabriel a C+ grade for his performance in the victory.
“Dillon Gabriel didn’t need to do much of anything during Sunday’s contest. Of note, the Cleveland Browns’ rookie quarterback didn’t make a major mistakes to cost his team, unlike his Dolphins’ counterpart (veteran Tua Tagovailoa). In a game with terrible weather, the Browns’ defense took care of business, while the offense leaned more heavily on running back Quinshon Judkins. Gabriel threw only 18 passes. Judkins ran for three scores. The effort is a major positive in Gabriel’s development, because A) he got to enjoy a victory as the starting quarterback and B) the Dolphins’ defense didn’t bring nearly the amount of pressure the rookie faced a week prior against the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Sobleski wrote.
Gabriel has yet to turn the ball over, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t put it in harm’s way.
He made several reckless throws against the Dolphins, some of which should’ve been intercepted.
Also, his decision-making hasn’t always been crisp, as he’s had multiple opportunities to find open receivers and has chosen to force a throw or to scramble instead.
That’s to be expected from a rookie, but it would be nice to see the coaching staff put a little more on his plate.
Of course, the Browns were dominating at home and up by multiple scores, plus the weather didn’t help, so this wasn’t the right time for him to show a little more.
But the Browns will someday have no choice but to either unleash him or move on from him, and while his upside might not be that high, they need to trust him for now.
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