<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-kevin-stefanski-officially-names-dillon-gabriel-backup-to-joe-flacco');   ga('set', 'title', 'Browns’ Kevin Stefanski officially names Dillon Gabriel backup to Joe Flacco');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Kevin-Stefanski-officially-names-Dillon-Gabriel-backup-to-Joe-Flacco.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Ken Blaze</figcaption></figure><h1>Browns’ Kevin Stefanski officially names Dillon Gabriel backup to Joe Flacco</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-26T14:00:42-07:00">August 26th, 2:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-26T14:01:17-07:00">August 26th, 2:01pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.spiering.3" rel="facebook">Chris Spiering</a>Chris Spiering graduated from the University of San Diego with a Communication Studies Degree. He spent his final year as the Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris manages the betting team at ClutchPoints and contributes about the NFL, MLB, and NBA, but he follows most sports, including NCAA Basketball. Chris also covers San Diego State men's basketball for East Village Times.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-bold-predictions-2025-nfl-season">Cleveland Browns</a> have been one of the most talked-about teams in the NFL since they drafted Shedeur Sanders in the 5th round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Despite the popularity, Sanders will not be seeing much action this season unless some unfortunate injuries occur to the quarterbacks ahead of him.</p><p>On Tuesday, ahead of the start of the regular season, the Browns have made their QB decisions. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-joe-flacco-wins-cleveland-4-way-qb-competition">Joe Flacco will be the starting QB</a> for Week 1 and potentially longer. Now, head coach Kevin Stefanski has said that Dillon Gabriel will be the backup to Flacco for the foreseeable future. That leaves Sanders <a href="https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1960438069318049998" rel="noopener">as the third string and emergency QB</a>, and it seems as if they will keep all three for this season.</p><p>The battle between Gabriel and Sanders has been one of the more talked-about battles this camp. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dillon-gabriel-unbothered-take-browns-qb-depth-chart-position">Gabriel has been unbothered</a> by his place in the depth chart all camp, and now being the backup shouldn’t be a surprise to him.</p><p>This preseason, Gabriel has thrown for 272 yards and one touchdown. He has also thrown an interception. It was a small sample size, but his outing against the Los Angeles Rams proved that he is capable of playing in the NFL. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown with the Browns running basic play calls. When Gabriel came in for Flacco against the Rams, it was almost a given then that he would be named the backup.</p><p>Sanders has played well this preseason, also. However, he has not been given as many reps. Sanders threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns this preseason. Although against the Rams, he threw for just 14 yards and had a lot of trouble avoiding sacks. As of now, the Browns have made the right decision with their signal callers.</p><p>The battle between Gabriel and Sanders is far from over.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Browns’ Kevin Stefanski officially names Dillon Gabriel backup to Joe Flacco

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dillon-gabriel-earns-major-endorsement-dan-orlovsky');   ga('set', 'title', 'Browns QB Dillon Gabriel earns major endorsement from Dan Orlovsky');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Dillon-Gabriel-of-the-Cleveland-Browns.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Browns QB Dillon Gabriel earns major endorsement from Dan Orlovsky</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-25T16:14:21-07:00">August 25th, 4:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-25T16:14:21-07:00">August 25th, 4:14pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-rumors-chad-ochocinco-johnson-blasts-kevin-stefanskis-shedeur-sanders-treatment">Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation</a> has been one of the most talked-about situations in the NFL throughout the offseason. Although Joe Flacco was named the starter, all eyes are still on rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. On Monday, former NFL quarterback turned analyst Dan Orlovsky shared a head-turning take about Gabriel.</p><p>Orlovsky, who covers the NFL for ESPN, claims that <a href="https://x.com/danorlovsky7/status/1960108855452422266" rel="noopener">he absolutely loves</a> what he sees from the former Oregon Ducks quarterback. He believes Gabriel has played well enough in training camp and the preseason to be named the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart.</p><p>“Dillon Gabriel’s tape is very impressive. Should clearly be the #2 QB for the Browns.”</p><p>Head coach Kevin Stefanski has not officially named which quarterback will be the immediate backup to Flacco. It very well could be Dillon Gabriel. However, both Shedeur Sanders and Kenny Pickett are also options. With the Week 1 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals around the corner, the Browns will likely name the official pecking order of the quarterback room soon.</p><p>The coaching staff is seemingly favoring experience over youth to begin the 2025-26 campaign. Joe Flacco is entering his 18th year of his career. His playing time has been a bit sporadic for the last seven years, as the 40-year-old quarterback has stepped in for several teams, like the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Browns, and Indianapolis Colts.</p><p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dan-orlovsky-breaks-down-real-gap-shedeur-sanders-dillon-gabriel">Dillon Gabriel joins the franchise</a> as a third-round pick. He proved to be a decent quarterback during his one-year stint at Oregon after recording 3,857 passing yards and 30 touchdowns while owning a 72.9% completion percentage. He is actually rather experienced, entering the NFL as a rookie, as Gabriel played six seasons at the collegiate level.</p><p>Look for the Browns to finalize the 53-man roster by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. EST deadline and announce the official depth chart not long after. Although the quarterback room is becoming clearer with the regular season about to begin, all eyes will likely remain on Cleveland due to the rookies on the team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Browns QB Dillon Gabriel earns major endorsement from Dan Orlovsky

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dan-orlovsky-breaks-down-real-gap-shedeur-sanders-dillon-gabriel');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dan Orlovsky breaks down real gap between Browns’ Shedeur Sanders vs. Dillon Gabriel');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Browns-quarterback-Shedeur-Sanders-Browns-Dillon-Gabriel.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dan Orlovsky breaks down real gap between Browns’ Shedeur Sanders vs. Dillon Gabriel</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-25T08:00:37-07:00">August 25th, 8:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-25T08:00:37-07:00">August 25th, 8:00am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While Cleveland Browns’ rookie quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders remain Joe Flacco’s backup QBs after cuts were made ahead of the 2025 NFL season, is there a significant gap between the two rookies? Browns head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-kevin-stefanski-maintains-commitment-developing-shedeur-sanders">Kevin Stefanski is committed to developing Sanders</a>. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky explained how Gabriel has a legitimate lead ahead of Shedeur’s development.</p><p>Orlovsky <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7z2BWjKiE&amp;t=289s" rel="noopener">explained why</a> he thinks the gap between Sanders and Gabriel isn’t relatively close, per ESPN’s Get Up.</p><p>“If we’re just taking the preseason games and the tape that we have, the body of work between Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders on tape isn’t close,” Orlovsky said. “Dillon Gabriel plays at NFL speed and right now with the body of work that we have seen, Shedeur isn’t there.”</p><p>Still, it doesn’t mean Sanders’ young NFL career is doomed. Gabriel has just shown he’s the more polished quarterback out of the gate.</p><p>“Some of those things that was, and others were concerned about on the college tape showed itself again. This is not the end of the world though,” Orlovsky added. “This is part of his development in becoming a potential starting quarterback.”</p><p>Browns veteran quarterback Joe Flacco was named QB1 ahead of Cleveland’s 19-17 win in their preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday.</p><h2><b>Joe Flacco sends sincere message to Browns’ Shedeur Sanders</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Browns-rookie-quarterback-Shedeur-Sanders_f208be.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After a frustrating second-half stint for Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders, veteran Joe Flacco addressed the young QB. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-joe-flacco-sends-sincere-message-shedeur-sanders-tough-preseason-finale">Flacco shared his rookie preseason experience on Saturday</a>, reminding everyone that the beginning rarely goes as planned for rookie QBs.</p><p>Flacco <a href="https://twitter.com/camijustice/status/1959377874496192923" rel="noopener">recalled getting his name called</a> in coach John Harbaugh’s first preseason game with the Ravens, per Browns reporter</p><p>“I can remember just like yesterday — that’s part of being a rookie. You’re going to get thrown into situations that maybe you don’t think are ideal,” Flacco said. “I got thrown into a game against New England with two minutes left. I fumbled on the one-yard line. They scored two plays later, and that was John Harbaugh’s first preseason game. He was not happy. I wasn’t happy either. It’s part of the game.</p><p>“It’s part of what makes a football player is learning how to deal from those situations and learn from them. Yeah, we’ve all been there. It’s part of the game,” Flacco concluded.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Browns?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Browns</a> QB Joe Flacco on Shedeur Sanders having a tough outing today, shared a similar experience he had as a rookie that made him better: <a href="https://t.co/IrqusozDra">pic.twitter.com/IrqusozDra</a></p><p>— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) <a href="https://twitter.com/camijustice/status/1959377874496192923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>It’s a learning experience that Flacco is confident will make Sanders a better quarterback in the long run.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dan Orlovsky breaks down real gap between Browns’ Shedeur Sanders vs. Dillon Gabriel

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-shedeur-sanders-reacts-to-dillon-gabriels-entertainers-competitors-comment');   ga('set', 'title', 'Browns’ Shedeur Sanders reacts to Dillon Gabriel’s ‘entertainers, competitors’ comment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Browns-QB-Shedeur-Sanders_01ff09.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Browns’ Shedeur Sanders reacts to Dillon Gabriel’s ‘entertainers, competitors’ comment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-21T12:56:32-07:00">August 21st, 12:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-21T12:56:32-07:00">August 21st, 12:56pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Even though the race for who will be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-joe-flacco-gets-100-real-on-week-2-ravens-clash-after-winning-qb1-job">the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback</a> is now over, there’s still plenty of competition in the team’s quarterback room. Two rookie signal callers, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, are vying to see who the backup signal caller to Joe Flacco will be. Following Gabriel’s comments last week, Sanders spoke about the whole ordeal to the press after practice Wednesday. The <a href="https://x.com/DanielOyefusi/status/1958579450477507034" rel="noopener">fifth rounder’s thoughts were shared</a> by team beat reporter Daniel Oyefusi on X (formerly Twitter).</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Browns QB Shedeur Sanders said fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel approached him on the plane last week to tell him the entertainers-and-competitors quote was not about him. Sanders’ comments on the whole ordeal. <a href="https://t.co/BjHIiUbBxU">pic.twitter.com/BjHIiUbBxU</a></p><p>— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanielOyefusi/status/1958579450477507034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Browns QB Shedeur Sanders said fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel approached him on the plane last week to tell him the entertainers-and-competitors quote was not about him,” reported Oyefusi on Thursday. “Sanders’ comments on the whole ordeal.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-shedeur-sanders-back-practice-after-oblique-injury">Sanders wasn’t too worried about</a> the comments, as he believed Gabriel meant that the comment wasn’t about him. The former Colorado star went through one of the most shocking falls in NFL draft history when he fell from a projected first, possibly second round selection all the way to day three. The Browns themselves passed on Sanders multiple times, including when they selected Gabriel in the third round. Will either of these rookies prove to be the long-awaited answer at quarterback for Cleveland?</p><h2><b>Who will be Browns’ long-term answer at quarterback?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Browns-QB-Dillon-Gabriel-1.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>If things go according to plan, then the Browns will ride the steady veteran hand of Flacco for at least this season, possibly another. By that time, either Gabriel, Sanders or another option (Arch Manning, perhaps?) will be ready to take over. If Cleveland has a successful year with Flacco under center, then it gives <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dillon-gabriel-entertainers-quip-shedeur-sanders">Gabriel and Sanders more time</a> to develop in head coach Kevin Stefanski’s system. In turn, that would likely lead to them having a better chance at taking over the Browns’ starting role once they are ready.</p><p>While many have clamored for Sanders to take over the role, it’s clear that Stefanski and his staff have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-joe-flacco-winning-starting-qb-role-hits-cleveland-fans-with-harsh-reality">the most faith in Flacco.</a> After all, Flacco and Stefanski led the team on an unlikely playoff run just two seasons ago. Who knows that could have happened if he had remained with the Browns last season. Will this season go according to plan in Cleveland? If not, there’s certainly a shot that we will see either Gabriel or Sanders under center at some point during this campaign.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Browns’ Shedeur Sanders reacts to Dillon Gabriel’s ‘entertainers, competitors’ comment

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/overreactions-dillon-gabriel-preseason-debut-browns');   ga('set', 'title', '3 overreactions to Dillon Gabriel’s preseason debut with Browns');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/X-overreactions-to-Dillon-Gabriels-preseason-debut-with-Browns.jpg"></figure><h1>3 overreactions to Dillon Gabriel’s preseason debut with Browns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-20T19:37:11-07:00">August 20th, 7:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-20T19:37:11-07:00">August 20th, 7:37pm</time><address><a href="http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/">Enzo Flojo</a>Enzo Flojo is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and a columnist for Asian basketball at FIBA. He brings a dynamic spirit and background, having expertise that spans writing, analytics, coaching, and broadcasting. He is also currently an Assistant Coach on Scouting &amp; Analytics for the Philippine national youth basketball team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Preseason football exists in its own strange world. One half-decent throw from a rookie quarterback becomes the stuff of legend, while one misstep can set off alarm bells across social media. Fans cling to every snap, often projecting future greatness or imminent disaster based on games played largely by backups. To wit, the Cleveland Browns’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles last August 16 provided the perfect stage for this cycle. At the center of it all was rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel.</p><h2><b>A Rookie Spotlight in Philadelphia</b></h2><p>The Browns’ first preseason game last August 8 sparked plenty of chatter, and much of that carried into <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/boxscore/_/gameId/401773006">their 22-13 win</a> over the Eagles on a week later. Once again, the focus was on quarterbacks, though not the one most expected. Shedeur Sanders, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-shedeur-sanders-debut-received-mixed-feedback-according-to-dianna-russini">who impressed in the opener</a> against the Carolina Panthers, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-shedeur-sanders-back-practice-after-oblique-injury">sat out with an oblique strain</a> from joint practices in Philadelphia. That absence cleared the way for fellow rookie Gabriel to start, and naturally, the overreactions began.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Browns-quarterback-Dillon-Gabriel-5-snaps-the-ball-against-the-Eagles.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-kevin-stefanskis-blunt-verdict-dillon-gabriel-led-offense-vs-eagles">Gabriel’s debut was a mixed bag</a>. He looked sharp at times, completing 13 of 18 passes for 138 yards and leading three scoring drives. However, he also showed his inexperience. This was most notable with a pick-six to Andrew Mukuba and a fumbled handoff. Statistically, his night wasn’t far off from Sanders’ 14-of-23, 138-yard, two-touchdown debut. That said, both looked like rookies in their first NFL action. And the bottom line remains: unless something happens to Joe Flacco, neither Sanders nor Gabriel will be under center when the Browns open the season against the Bengals on Sept. 7.</p><p>With that in mind, let’s break down the three biggest overreactions swirling around Gabriel’s debut.</p><h2><b>1. Dillon Gabriel Was Near-Perfect in Preseason Debut</b></h2><p>It’s tempting to view Gabriel’s debut through the lens of his poise and efficiency. Again, he completed 72 percent of his passes, and he showed solid ability to keep chains moving early. That included three-for-three on third downs on his opening drive. That gave the Browns much-needed momentum. It’s the kind of composure fans dream about in a rookie.</p><p>On the flip side, to call his performance ‘near-perfect’ ignores the glaring blemishes. The pick-six to Mukuba wasn’t just a rookie mistake. It was a backbreaking, momentum-shifting error. Add in a botched handoff that resulted in a lost fumble, and suddenly the narrative looks very different. These weren’t harmless miscues. They were the type of plays that can lose regular-season games.</p><p>Yes, Gabriel showed flashes of confidence and command, and that’s reason for optimism. Still, perfection? Not even close. This was a mixed bag. It was encouraging but far from flawless. Overhyping it only sets the bar unreasonably high for a player still learning the pro game.</p><h2><b>2. Gabriel Has Won the QB2 Spot for the Browns</b></h2><p>Some fans immediately penciled Gabriel in as the Browns’ backup quarterback after his performance in Philadelphia. The thinking goes: if he can look this good under the lights, why not hand him the job behind Flacco?</p><p>The problem with that thinking is twofold. First, the Browns still have other viable candidates in the room, including, of course, Sanders, who turned in a steady, efficient outing against Carolina before his minor injury. And then let’s not forget Kenny Pickett, who remains in the mix as a veteran option. One decent half of football doesn’t erase months of evaluation and competition.</p><p>Additionally, preseason depth charts are rarely decided after one performance. Coaches value consistency and progression over time. Gabriel showed potential, but he also showed inexperience. The Browns coaching staff is unlikely to crown him QB2 this early. If anything, his debut earned him more snaps and more evaluation, not the job outright.</p><h2><b>3. Gabriel Will Eventually Take Over as QB1 in the 2025 NFL Season</b></h2><p>This is where enthusiasm starts to drift into fantasy. Gabriel might one day become a starter in the NFL, but declaring that he’ll overtake Flacco this season is simply premature.</p><p>The Browns brought in Flacco to stabilize the position with experience. He remains the clear Week 1 starter barring injury. Rookie quarterbacks, especially mid-round picks like Gabriel, usually require seasoning. Even highly drafted passers rarely jump straight from a preseason cameo into a regular-season starting role.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Browns-QB-Dillon-Gabriel-runs.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Gabriel’s flashes of accuracy in the short game, pocket composure, and mobility are reasons to be excited about his future. That said, his miscues remind us why development is necessary. Thrusting him into a starting role too soon could do more harm than good. Suggesting he’s bound for QB1 this season ignores how NFL teams groom young quarterbacks and how much Gabriel still has to learn.</p><h2><b>Looking Ahead</b></h2><p>Preseason football invites overreaction by design. Gabriel gave Browns fans a reason to dream, and that’s a positive development in itself. However, the bigger truth is that he looked exactly like what he is: a rookie quarterback in August. He was capable of promising moments and costly mistakes in equal measure.</p><p>For Cleveland, the key isn’t whether Gabriel was perfect, or whether he’s the next starter in waiting. It’s whether he can build on these moments, clean up the turnovers, and give the Browns confidence that they’ve added another intriguing piece for the future. Until then, fans should enjoy the flashes, temper the hype, and remember that August is for glimpses, not guarantees.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 overreactions to Dillon Gabriel’s preseason debut with Browns

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-stephen-a-smith-dillon-gabriel-entertainer');   ga('set', 'title', 'Stephen A. Smith fires back at Dillon Gabriel’s ‘Entertainer’ quip');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Dillon-Gabriel_45b1dc.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Stephen A. Smith fires back at Dillon Gabriel’s ‘Entertainer’ quip</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-18T09:36:49-07:00">August 18th, 9:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-18T09:36:49-07:00">August 18th, 9:36am</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The position of<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-kevin-stefanski-hints-qb-decision-sooner-later"> starting QB for the Cleveland Browns is up for grabs</a>. But contenders Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are seemingly not on the best of terms.</p><p>On Saturday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dillon-gabriel-entertainers-quip-shedeur-sanders">Gabriel commented on “entertainers vs. competitors</a> during the Browns’ preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles.</p><p>“There’s entertainers and there’s competitors,” Gabriel said. “And I totally understand that. And my job is to compete and that’s what I’m focused on doing.”</p><p>Some took it as a slight against Sanders, but Gabriel said it wasn’t. On Monday, Stephen A. Smith <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3ozCJ7aIr8&amp;t=683s" rel="noopener">made it clear</a> on ESPN’s First Take that he didn’t think it was a slight, but was nevertheless a “dumb comment”.</p><p>“I never believed he was talking about Shedeur Sanders,” Smith said. “I totally believed him when he said he was talking about the media.”</p><p>“It was stupid, a very dumb comment to make. First of all, in every walk of life, far beyond the perimeters of a football field, people are competing. We compete here on television. You compete on radio shows, you compete on Wall Street, you compete on Madison Avenue.”</p><p>Furthermore, Smith reiterated Gabriel’s contention that it was not about Sanders.</p><p>“It was a stupid, idiotic, immature comment because clearly you were feeling the heat because a lot of people were talking about how Shedeur should be QB number two. But I know he was not talking about Shedeur Sanders he was talking about the media. Here’s the problem you now heightened the level of scrutiny coming your way.”</p><p>The Browns defeated the Eagles 22-13. Gabriel went completed 13 passes on 18 attempts for 143 passing yards and had one interception.</p><h2><b>Who will be the the starting QB for the Cleveland Browns?</b></h2><p>The decision on who will be the starter is expected to be announced before the season begins. Altogether, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-rumors-joe-flacco-emerging-strong-favorite-win-starting-qb-job">veteran QB Joe Flaco is expected to be the starter</a> for the opening game against the Cincinnati Bengels on Sept. 7.</p><p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/3-hot-takes-after-shedeur-sanders-big-preseason-debut-for-browns">Sanders experienced a huge preseason debut</a> against the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-shedeur-sanders-qb-injury-practice-scare">Sanders was sidelined to an oblique injury</a> shortly after during practice.</p><p>Other contender <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-kenny-pickett-breaks-silence-defiant-take-injury">Kenny Pickett is out with a hamstring injury</a> and experiencing limited practice time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Stephen A. Smith fires back at Dillon Gabriel’s ‘Entertainer’ quip

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dillon-gabriel-entertainers-quip-shedeur-sanders');   ga('set', 'title', 'Browns’ Dillon Gabriel assures ‘entertainers’ quip not about Shedeur Sanders');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Dillon-Gabriel_077101.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Browns’ Dillon Gabriel assures ‘entertainers’ quip not about Shedeur Sanders</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-17T14:05:36-07:00">August 17th, 2:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-17T14:05:36-07:00">August 17th, 2:05pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/browns-news-kevin-stefanski-hints-qb-decision-sooner-later">Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation</a> is one of the most interesting storylines of the preseason so far. Cleveland’s crowded quarterback room has dealt with injuries, additional signings, micro-analyzed training camp reps and everything in between as it gears up for its third and final preseason game.</p><p>On Saturday, the Browns knocked off the Philadelphia Eagles 22-13 in their second preseason game. Shedeur Sanders missed the game due to an oblique injury that he suffered in practice, so Dillon Gabriel got the start and played the entire first half. However, it was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dillon-gabriel-entertainers-competitors-comments">something Gabriel said on the sidelines</a> during the game that got all the attention.</p><p>“That’s just part of it… there’s entertainers and there’s competitors,” Gabriel said. “And I totally understand that, and my job is to compete.”</p><p>That was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-reporter-clarifies-dillon-gabriel-entertainers-competitors-comment">seen by many as a shot at Sanders</a>, due to the shine and spotlight that the Colorado product gets no matter what he does. However, Gabriel later clarified that the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46001710/dillon-gabriel-entertainers-remark-not-shedeur-sanders" rel="noopener">quip was not directed</a> at his fellow rookie signal caller, via ESPN.</p><p>“Yeah, first off, I’m all about our team and each other. I would never make that [comment about Sanders] and I’ve said it before that’s why it’s interesting, but for me I’ve explained it entertainers are you all, competitor, that’s what I am, and all my teammates and we both have jobs to do, so that’s it,” Gabriel said.</p><p>Gabriel missed the Browns’ first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers due to a hamstring injury, so Sanders got the start and played into the third quarter. Both quarterbacks showed some good and bad in their debuts and it will be interesting to see how the reps get split up for the final preseason contest against the Los Angeles Rams if both are healthy and able to go.</p><p>Gabriel led a stellar first drive, eventually resulting in a touchdown for the Browns, on Saturday, but the good times didn’t last very long. He threw a pick-six to Eagles rookie Andrew Mukuba shortly after and finished the day 13-for-18 with 143 yards and that interception as a whole.</p><p>Kenny Pickett is still dealing with a hamstring injury of his own, so both rookies should be able to get plenty of playing time next Saturday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Browns’ Dillon Gabriel assures ‘entertainers’ quip not about Shedeur Sanders

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-reporter-clarifies-dillon-gabriel-entertainers-competitors-comment');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reporter clarifies Browns QB Dillon Gabriel’s ‘entertainers vs. competitors’ comment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dillon-Gabriel-1.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reporter clarifies Browns QB Dillon Gabriel’s ‘entertainers vs. competitors’ comment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-17T09:50:18-07:00">August 17th, 9:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-17T09:50:18-07:00">August 17th, 9:50am</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cleveland Browns quarterback <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-insider-reacts-dillon-gabriel-preseason-debut">Dillon Gabriel was impressive in his 2025 preseason debut</a>, but it was his post-game comments that had fans buzzing on social media. As eye-opening as his reaction to the team’s highly scrutinized positional battle was, it is vital that Gabriel’s comments not be taken out of context.</p><p>After sitting out of the Browns’ first preseason game, Gabriel completed 13 of his 18 pass attempts for 143 yards and one interception in his debut. It was an impressive performance, but fans were thrown off by his post-game assessment of Cleveland’s ongoing quarterback battle, which <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dillon-gabriel-entertainers-competitors-comments">Gabriel said there “are entertainers and there are competitors.”</a></p><p>Many took the statement as a criticism of fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders, but CBS Sports reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala <a href="https://x.com/AKinkhabwala/status/1956832305408045214" rel="noopener">set the record straight</a> on the cryptic quote.</p><p>“Let’s PLEASE not take this out of context,” Kinkhabwala tweeted. “I was so impressed with how sagely _ and sincerely — Dillon Gabriel talked previously about tuning out distractions. He told us there are entertainers (hot-take artists) and there are competitors (he and his fellow QBs) and he doesn’t ‘ever want to get those lines twisted.’</p><p>“I therefore asked him to share his (wise) approach to keep the external noise from, as he said, ‘infiltrating’ with the people watching. This is as humble and respectful a young man as there is. Don’t malign him by assuming something that isn’t there.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Let’s PLEASE not take this out of context. I was so impressed with how sagely – and sincerely – Dillon Gabriel talked previously about tuning out distractions. He told us there are entertainers (hot take artists) and there are competitors (he and his fellow QBs) and he doesn’t… <a href="https://t.co/SuNFUFT1Zu">https://t.co/SuNFUFT1Zu</a></p><p>— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) <a href="https://twitter.com/AKinkhabwala/status/1956832305408045214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Some people assumed that Gabriel was referring to Sanders as an “entertainer” due to the attention and criticism he receives from the media. However, Kinkhabwala is making it clear that Gabriel is referring to the media as “entertainers,” not any of his teammates.</p><h2><b>Dillon Gabriel third on Browns’ 2025 preseason depth chart</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Browns-QB-1.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Gabriel and Sanders have now played one preseason game each, impressing in their own ways. While Sanders had the objectively better game, Gabriel’s pocket presence, poise and accuracy were on point in his debut.</p><p>The performances have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/browns-news-kevin-stefanski-pleased-shedeur-sanders-depth-chart-change">not changed anything on the Browns’ unofficial depth chart</a>. Joe Flacco remains in front and listed as the starter, with veteran Kenny Pickett listed as his backup. Gabriel is currently the team’s third-string, with Sanders listed in fourth.</p><p>Fans were shocked to see Sanders still listed in fourth after his stellar preseason performance. However, the Browns appear to be taking a cautious approach with both rookie quarterbacks, not wanting to rush either player and risk having to enter the 2026 NFL Draft in search of yet another player to hopefully save their franchise.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reporter clarifies Browns QB Dillon Gabriel’s ‘entertainers vs. competitors’ comment

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-news-rookie-reacts-to-surprise-pick-6-dillon-gabriel');   ga('set', 'title', 'Eagles’ rookie reacts to ‘surprise’ pick-6 of Dillon Gabriel');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Andrew-Mukuba_a6cc39.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Eagles’ rookie reacts to ‘surprise’ pick-6 of Dillon Gabriel</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-17T08:41:18-07:00">August 17th, 8:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-17T08:41:18-07:00">August 17th, 8:41am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-3-roster-hopefuls-who-improved-stock-after-win-vs-bengals">Eagles didn’t play most of their starters</a> in their preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, which allowed them to get an extensive look at other players. The rookies got some good run, and one player in particular showed out. It was second-round pick Drew Mukuba who had a day, and it started in the second quarter when he intercepted Dillon Gabriel and took it back for a touchdown.</p><p>Mukuba explained the play, and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6557309/2025/08/16/drew-mukuba-pick-six-eagles-secondary/?source=emp_shared_article" rel="noopener">he couldn’t believe</a> the ball was thrown his way, according to Brooks Kubena of The Athletic.</p><p>“I was surprised he was throwing it because I was literally right there,” Mukuba said. “He ended up throwing it. And as soon as I caught it, I already had in my mind that I gotta get in the end zone.”</p><p>Mukuba had never returned an interception for a touchdown until then, and he’s looking for more moments like that in his career.</p><p>“That’s the feeling that I wanna have all the time,” Mukuba said. “There’s gonna be many more for sure to come.”</p><p>Later in the game, Mukuba continued to help create turnovers for the Eagles, as he recovered a fumble later in the second quarter.</p><p>Head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-news-nick-sirianni-gives-major-props-rookie-preseason-debut">Nick Sirianni was impressed with Mukuba’s play</a>, and he spoke highly of the safety.</p><p>“I always thought that he has a knack for the football, how he practices, watching his tape, whether it was at Clemson or at Texas, has the ability to take the ball away as a playmaker, Sirianni told reporters. “So anytime you go out there and make a play, that’s big.</p><p>“And so that was exciting, the interception, and even one while he was there for the fumble recovery after they had a mis-exchange, well guys that have a knack for the football just find ways to be around the football, and I think that’s what we saw today.”</p><p>The Eagles made some changes in their secondary this offseason, and there were questions about how they would make up for the players who had left. With the performance that Mukuba had, there shouldn’t be that many questions, and there’s no doubt that he’ll make a big impact on the team this season and in the future.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Eagles’ rookie reacts to ‘surprise’ pick-6 of Dillon Gabriel

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dillon-gabriel-unbothered-take-browns-qb-depth-chart-position');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dillon Gabriel’s unbothered take on Browns QB depth chart position');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Browns-quarterback-Dillon-Gabriel-5-snaps-the-ball-against-the-Eagles.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dillon Gabriel’s unbothered take on Browns QB depth chart position</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-16T18:43:25-07:00">August 16th, 6:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-16T18:44:17-07:00">August 16th, 6:44pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Browns have an intriguing quarterback situation. Although veteran signal-caller Joe Flacco is widely viewed as the team’s No. 1 quarterback, Shedeur Sanders turned heads and opened eyes with his scintillating performance in Cleveland’s 30-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers on the road in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL preseason.</p><p>On Saturday, another rookie quarterback in former Oregon Ducks star Dillon Gabriel, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-kevin-stefanskis-blunt-verdict-dillon-gabriel-led-offense-vs-eagles">made his NFL preseason debut with mixed results</a>. Gabriel played entirely in the first half and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-insider-reacts-dillon-gabriel-preseason-debut">helped the Browns</a> engineer three scoring drives on five possessions. He threw for 143 passing yards with zero touchdowns on 13-of-18 completions, but he couldn’t avoid a brutal turnover, as he was picked off by Eagles defensive back Andrew Mukuba, who turned the interception into a touchdown.</p><p>In contrast, Sanders had 138 passing yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions on 14-of-23 pass completions in the Eagles game.</p><p>For what it’s worth, Gabriel <a href="https://www.nj.com/sports/2025/08/browns-dillon-gabriel-unfazed-by-qb-competition-featuring-shedeur-sanders-after-win-over-eagles.html" rel="noopener">doesn’t seem to be paying any attention</a> to what the narrative says about his position in the Browns’ QB depth chart.</p><p>“I’m not worried about that at all,” Gabriel said after the Eagles game, per Chris Franklin of NJ.com. “I’m just focused on a day at a time. At the end of the day, some decision will be made that’s best for the team and that’ll be it.”</p><p>Added Gabriel: . “I’m just focused on being the best version of myself, contributing to our team, our quarterback room to be the best, and that takes every single day and one day at a time, so that’s way down the road.”</p><p>Gabriel will always attract attention, especially with Sanders’ rise. Sanders controversially slid all the way down the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft despite many expecting him to be a top-five pick. Gabriel, on the other hand, was even taken earlier, as he was scooped off the draft board in the third round.</p><p>The Browns will look to finish the 2025 NFL preseason undefeated when they take on the Los Angeles Rams at home in Week 3 on Aug. 23. It remains to be seen who’ll start under center for Cleveland, but it is worth noting that Sanders did not see action in Week 2 with an oblique issue while Kenny Pickett is still dealing with a hamstring injury.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dillon Gabriel’s unbothered take on Browns QB depth chart position

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-kevin-stefanskis-blunt-verdict-dillon-gabriel-led-offense-vs-eagles');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kevin Stefanski’s blunt verdict on Dillon Gabriel-led Browns offense vs. Eagles');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Dillon-Gabriel_45b1dc.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kevin Stefanski’s blunt verdict on Dillon Gabriel-led Browns offense vs. Eagles</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-16T17:51:45-07:00">August 16th, 5:51pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-16T18:00:14-07:00">August 16th, 6:00pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a Senior Editor who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, The Needle Drop, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After watching Shedeur Sanders shine in his preseason debut against the Carolina Panthers, the Cleveland Browns eagerly tuned into Week 2 to see how fellow Class of 2025 quarterback <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/browns-news-insider-reacts-dillon-gabriel-preseason-debut">Dillon Gabriel would fare</a> against the reigning and defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles.</p><p>The results? Well, they were polarizing, with Gabriel completing 13 of his 18 passes for 143 yards but throwing a pick, getting sacked twice, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-news-nick-sirianni-gives-major-props-rookie-preseason-debut">losing a fumble to rookie safety Andrew Mukuba</a>.</p><p>Considering Gabriel is in the middle of a four-way quarterback competition with Sanders, Kenny Pickett, and Joe Flacco, this clearly wasn’t the best result for the Oregon-educated quarterback. But in the opinion of head coach Kevin Stefanski, the Browns’ struggles weren’t all on Gabriel’s shoulders, <a href="https://www.nj.com/sports/2025/08/browns-dillon-gabriel-unfazed-by-qb-competition-featuring-shedeur-sanders-after-win-over-eagles.html" rel="noopener">as the entire team has room to grow</a>.</p><p>“We have plenty to clean up,” Stefanski said via NJ.com. “There are some things that I thought he did well. I thought our offense as a whole on third down was very good early, which allowed us to stay on the field because I don’t think we were great on first and second down.”</p><p>Taking a step further, Stefanski specifically called out wide receiver Diontae Johnson and tight end Blake Whiteheart, who weren’t in the correct spot on Gabriel’s now-infamous pick-6, noting that the team will <a href="https://Twitter.com/OldSchool_NFL/status/1956818411813810624" rel="noopener">clean that up</a> heading into the preseason finale and beyond.</p><p>“There shouldn’t be, they’re out of their sandbox. They were in the wrong area of their sandbox. We’ll get that cleaned up. That’s something that’s kind of what I’m talking about, Tony, where things like that happen in these games,” Stefanski noted. “We have to clean that up. And even if you weren’t on that rep, you’re a tight end or a wide receiver, you can learn from that rep. So that should never happen on that play. Yeah, obviously that can never happen on that play. There’s things, not all interceptions are created.”</p><p>Did Gabriel hurt his standing against the Eagles? Yes. But could he still end up being the Browns’ long-term answer under center? Considering the NFL has seldom seen a situation like what’s unfolding right now in “Believeland,” it’s safe to say nothing should be off the table.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">For all the Dillon Gabriel haters out there, here is Kevin Stefanski explaining why the pick 6 is not on Gabriel:</p><p>The WR and the TE are in the wrong area of their sandbox. We'll get that cleaned up. That should never happen. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Browns?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Browns</a> <a href="https://t.co/NnViLyTQKW">pic.twitter.com/NnViLyTQKW</a></p><p>— 𝐃𝐞𝐱 (@OldSchool_NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/OldSchool_NFL/status/1956818411813810624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kevin Stefanski’s blunt verdict on Dillon Gabriel-led Browns offense vs. Eagles

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dillon-gabriel-entertainers-competitors-comments');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dillon Gabriel’s ‘entertainers, competitors’ comments will get Browns fans talking');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Browns-QB-Dillon-Gabriel-runs.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dillon Gabriel’s ‘entertainers, competitors’ comments will get Browns fans talking</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-16T14:40:51-07:00">August 16th, 2:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-16T14:41:09-07:00">August 16th, 2:41pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Browns are expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, but they are also one of the most powerful media magnets in the league right now. And that statement will carry even more validity following Saturday’s 22-13 preseason win versus the Philadelphia Eagles. While there are certainly interesting aspects of the game to unpack, the <a href="https://x.com/A_Dayroom/status/1956802825574379876" rel="noopener">biggest attention-grabber</a> occurred during a sideline interview in the third quarter.</p><p>Rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who made <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-insider-reacts-dillon-gabriel-preseason-debut">his preseason debut</a> after recently battling a hamstring injury, dropped a soundbite that is sure to go viral. When asked how he “tunes out the noise,” the third-round draft pick responded with an interesting choice of words that had many fans immediately thinking of one man.</p><p>“That’s just part of it… there’s entertainers and there’s competitors,” Gabriel said, via TheDayroomExperience X account. “And I totally understand that, and my job is to compete… I just want to be the best teammate that I can and create an environment where we can all do our best work.”</p><p>The “entertainers” remark immediately put the spotlight on fellow rookie signal-caller Shedeur Sanders, who famously has a big personality and flashy appearance. However, given the nature of the question, which focused on “the noise,” it is definitely possible Gabriel was talking about the media circus that is encircling the Browns QB room, and not his teammate.</p><p>Do not forget, one reporter was caught on video mouthing “I’m taller than him” in the spring, so it is possible the 24-year-0ld already has some reservations about the local press. A narrative will take shape regardless.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Did Dillon Gabriel just call out Shedeur Sanders? “There’s entertainers and competitors. I’m a competitor.” Nevertheless, they’ll have plenty of time to compete and entertain. And loved the pick six to Mukuba. 🤘🏻 <a href="https://t.co/nPIH6HfYbC">pic.twitter.com/nPIH6HfYbC</a></p><p>— TheDayroomExperience (@A_Dayroom) <a href="https://twitter.com/A_Dayroom/status/1956802825574379876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Browns’ Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders must push through all the hoopla</b></h2><p>Whether or not he intended to bring Sanders back into focus, Gabriel just threw gasoline on the QB controversy that was already brewing in Cleveland. He should know how the specific word “entertainer” is going to be perceived by those watching. Although it is not a written part of the job description, a quarterback is supposed to ward off distractions when talking into a microphone.</p><p>Unfortunately, this will have the opposite effect. Gabriel wants his game to speak louder than anything he said off the field, but while he did show some promise on Saturday afternoon, the All-American and former Oregon star posted a mixed outing. He completed 13-of-18 passes for 143 yards, while also throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown and committing a lost fumble on a handoff.</p><p>Gabriel’s pass-catchers share accountability on the pick-six — bunched-up and did not make a strong move for the ball — but he needs to recognize potential dangers during such unfavorable circumstances. Nevertheless, the young Hawaiian still made enough good throws to inspire some optimism.</p><p>Since <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-kevin-stefanski-reveals-when-shedeur-sanders-suffered-injury">Shedeur Sanders is nursing an oblique injury</a>, and Dillon Gabriel was sidelined last week, fans have still yet to see both signal-callers compete in the same exhibition game.</p><p>Perhaps that will change in the Browns’ preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams next Saturday. The team and NFL world can expect much speculation until that day arrives.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dillon Gabriel’s ‘entertainers, competitors’ comments will get Browns fans talking

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-insider-reacts-dillon-gabriel-preseason-debut');   ga('set', 'title', 'Insider reacts to Browns QB Dillon Gabriel’s ‘solid’ preseason debut');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Browns-QB-Dillon-Gabriel.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Insider reacts to Browns QB Dillon Gabriel’s ‘solid’ preseason debut</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-16T12:45:16-07:00">August 16th, 12:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-16T12:45:16-07:00">August 16th, 12:45pm</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>One week after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/how-browns-shedeur-sanders-played-preseason-debut-panthers">Shedeur Sanders made a statement in the Cleveland Browns’</a> 2025 preseason debut, Dillon Gabriel responded with authority. Coming off a hamstring injury, Gabriel shone in his own debut.</p><p>Gabriel started at quarterback for the Browns’ second preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Save for a few mistakes, the rookie impressed with his opportunity. His performance did not go unnoticed and <a href="https://x.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1956786898526961711" rel="noopener">warranted a shoutout</a> from NFL Network analyst Mike Garafolo.</p><p>“Dillon Gabriel finished the first half 13-for-18 for 143 yards,” Garafolo tweeted. “Bounced back from sacks and the pick 6 below. Solid showing for the Browns rookie, especially with limited work coming off a hamstring injury. Both Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders off to good starts.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dillon Gabriel finished the first half 13-for-18 for 143 yards. Bounced back from sacks and the pick 6 below. Solid showing for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Browns?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Browns</a> rookie, especially with limited work coming off a hamstring injury. Both Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders off to good starts. <a href="https://t.co/fZy1X2MJEO">https://t.co/fZy1X2MJEO</a></p><p>— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1956786898526961711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Gabriel threw an interception on the first play of the second quarter, which is all fans seemed to care about on social media. A poorly drawn play and a regrettable decision caused the turnover, as Gabriel threw a dangerous pass into an area with three receivers. However, aside from that blunder, he was decisive in the pocket and accurate with his passes.</p><p>Gabriel played the entire first half before taking a seat. With Sanders sitting out due to an oblique injury, Tyler ‘Snoop’ Huntley relieved him off the bench.</p><h2><b>Browns’ preseason quarterback depth chart</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Kevin-Stefanski-will-have-to-figure-out-the-Browns-quarterback-situation.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite Gabriel’s strong debut, the Browns’ 2025 quarterback depth chart is unlikely to budge. It did not move an inch after Sanders’ impressive outing, suggesting that it will endure little movement before Week 1.</p><p>However, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/browns-news-kenny-pickett-injury-impacts-qb-battle">Kenny Pickett still out with a hamstring injury</a>, Gabriel and Sanders could both realistically jump ahead of him. Head coach Kevin Stefanski continues to treat 40-year-old Joe Flacco as his QB1, making Pickett the forgotten component of the group.</p><p>With just one preseason game remaining on the Browns’ schedule, an Aug. 23 tilt against the Los Angeles Rams, the quarterback battle is coming down to its last legs. Opinions on the situation vary, but the consensus seems to be that Flacco will lead the team out of the tunnel in Week 1. Pickett is currently listed as his backup, but that could entirely change once Cleveland finalizes its 53-man roster.</p><p>If the Browns’ recent history is any indication, all four quarterbacks could potentially see the field in 2025. Cleveland has given four different quarterbacks at least one start in each of the last two seasons.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Insider reacts to Browns QB Dillon Gabriel’s ‘solid’ preseason debut

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-skip-bayless-dillon-gabriel-shedeur-sanders');   ga('set', 'title', 'Skip Bayless’ praise for Browns QB Dillon Gabriel comes with Shedeur Sanders twist');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/browns-qba.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Skip Bayless’ praise for Browns QB Dillon Gabriel comes with Shedeur Sanders twist</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-16T11:20:38-07:00">August 16th, 11:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-16T11:20:38-07:00">August 16th, 11:20am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Dillon Gabriel takes center stage this afternoon as the Cleveland Browns face the Philadelphia Eagles in their second preseason game. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dillon-gabriel-injury-update-eagles">The rookie quarterback will start for Cleveland</a> and has a major opportunity to tilt the quarterback battle in his favor.</p><p>The Browns selected Gabriel in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft after productive stints at Oklahoma and Oregon. Known for his mobility, anticipation, and poise, the rookie now faces live NFL action for the first time. With Deshaun Watson sidelined due to a torn Achilles tendon, the Browns quarterback competition remains wide open.</p><p>Gabriel’s debut carries added intrigue after Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless <a href="https://x.com/RealSkipBayless/status/1956764553309827215">weighed in on social media</a> ahead of kickoff, posting the following onto his X (formerly known as Twitter) account.</p><p>“I watched every snap Dillon Gabriel took for two years at Oklahoma. He’s pretty good – a little better Tua and he can move. BUT HE’S NO SHEDEUR. Cleveland took him 50 slots ahead of Shedeur so Gabriel will be given every opportunity and edge to beat out Shedeur.”</p><p>The comment fueled ongoing comparisons between Gabriel and Sanders, the former Colorado Buffaloes standout quarterback. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-cleveland-selects-shedeur-sanders-stunning-fall-2025-nfl-draft">Cleveland selected Sanders in the fifth round</a>, and although he impressed early in camp and delivered a standout performance in Week 1 of the preseason, he has missed time with an oblique injury. He remains in the mix, but the 24-year-old lefty now commands the spotlight.</p><p>Cleveland plans to give Gabriel extended reps this afternoon, and head coach Kevin Stefanski has emphasized that performance will dictate who wins the backup role. While veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett bring experience, the team is eager to evaluate their rookie talent.</p><p>If Gabriel shows command, rhythm, and efficiency, he could gain separation in a tightly contested battle. His preseason outing this afternoon won’t decide everything — but it could shape the Browns’ plans as Week 1 approaches.</p><p>With so much riding on these reps, Cleveland enters this matchup hoping for clarity at the game’s most important position.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Skip Bayless’ praise for Browns QB Dillon Gabriel comes with Shedeur Sanders twist

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dillon-gabriel-injury-update-eagles');   ga('set', 'title', 'Browns’ Dillon Gabriel set to start against Eagles');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Dillon-Gabriel.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Browns’ Dillon Gabriel set to start against Eagles</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-16T08:18:56-07:00">August 16th, 8:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-16T08:35:11-07:00">August 16th, 8:35am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Browns have officially cleared rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel to start in Saturday’s Preseason Week 2 NFL matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, following days of uncertainty around his status. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dillon-gabriel-gets-encouraging-injury-update-before-preseason-game-vs-eagles">latest injury update regarding Gabriel marks a key moment</a> in the team’s quarterback evaluation process as they navigate one of the thinnest depth charts in the league this preseason.</p><p>Gabriel, who strained his hamstring during a practice on August 2nd, missed the Browns’ preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. He returned to limited practice sessions earlier this week and participated in joint workouts with the Eagles, appearing increasingly mobile and confident.</p><p>Heading into Saturday’s game, speculation surrounded whether Gabriel would be ready to take the field. Earlier in the day, TheLandOnDemand’s Tony Grossi posted to X (formerly known as Twitter) and noted that Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski <a href="https://x.com/TonyGrossi/status/1956723821433815117" rel="noopener">still had not confirmed</a> the rookie’s availability at the time.</p><p>“I’m told that even last night Kevin Stefanski wasnt 100% sure Dillon Gabriel (hamstring) would be able to play today. In the unlikely event he cant, Tyler Huntley would try to pitch a complete game.”</p><p>That decision has since been made. Gabriel will start, confirming Cleveland’s faith in the third-round pick as he prepares to make his NFL debut.</p><p>The timing of this clearance could not be more important. With Shedeur Sanders sidelined due to an oblique injury, Kenny Pickett nursing a hamstring strain, and Joe Flacco inactive for rest, the Browns quarterback depth has reached a breaking point. If the Oregon procut had not been available, Huntley would have been forced to take every snap in Saturday’s game — a scenario the team hoped to avoid.</p><p>The 24-year-old lefty enters the game with one of the most experienced resumes in the rookie class. Across six college seasons at UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon, he threw for 18,722 yards and 155 touchdowns. His final season with the Ducks saw him post 3,857 yards and 30 scores while leading the Ducks to a College Football Playoff berth. His poise, quick reads, and ability to evade pressure make him an ideal fit for the Browns’ offensive scheme under Stefanski.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-dillon-gabriel-good-bet-start-preseason-game-shedeur-sanders-injury">upcoming Browns vs. Eagles contest offers Gabriel</a> a critical opportunity to gain ground in Cleveland’s evolving quarterback competition. With Sanders unavailable and the regular season fast approaching, every preseason snap carries added weight. The coaching staff will closely evaluate the 2025 third-round pick’s timing, decision-making, and command of the offense.</p><p>Even with Gabriel cleared to start, concerns around the overall health of the teams quarterback depth remain at large. A strong showing against Philly this afternoon could solidify his spot on the depth chart and help Cleveland gain clarity before final roster decisions.</p><p>As kickoff approaches, Gabriel will take the field for the first time in an NFL uniform, looking to validate the confidence the organization placed in him on draft night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dillon Gabriel news

Dillon
Gabriel news