The Cleveland Browns are in their bye week with plenty of questions about their offense, especially at quarterback. After a 32-13 loss to the New England Patriots, the team was outplayed in the second half, getting outscored 21-0 in the third quarter. The defeat has reignited talk about whether coach Kevin Stefanski should make a change under center. Rookie Shedeur Sanders is waiting for his chance, but for now, Dillon Gabriel remains the starter.
Browns Insider Shares Details on Shedeur Sanders’ Situation
Kevin Stefanski was asked after the New England Patriots game whether Sanders could start once the bye week ends. His answer showed that the coaching staff is not rushing to make the switch.
“My focus is where we are right now. That’s not my focus,” he said.
Dillon Gabriel’s performance against New England gave little reason for optimism. He threw for 156 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Over his four starts this season, he has topped 200 passing yards only once.
His PFSN QB Impact Score sits at 57.2 — an F grade — ranking him 34th among quarterbacks so far this season. While those numbers are concerning, the Browns appear willing to give Gabriel additional time to develop rhythm and chemistry with his teammates.
Regarding this, NFL insider Mary Kay Cabot said that if Kevin Stefanski isn’t playing Sanders, it’s likely because he wants a longer look at Dillon Gabriel or doesn’t believe Sanders is ready yet. She wrote on cleveland.com:
“Remember, Browns GM Andrew Berry stated in August that for Sanders, it’s like going from English to Mandarin in terms of learning pro-style concepts and terminology. Three months is a brief period in which to come up that steep a learning curve. He has made tremendous progress in practice, and the Browns are excited about it.
“I would even venture to say that he’s doing better than expected at this point, largely because of his work ethic and high football acumen. I just think they want to put him in position to succeed, and even 18th-year pro Joe Flacco struggled with this offense. He will play this season when the time is right.”
Shedeur Sanders missed the Patriots game with a minor back issue but is expected to be ready after the bye week as a backup. At the same time, Gabriel needs to produce and improve in his passing game to keep his position.