Browns matchup against the Patriots could be make-or-break game for Dillon Gabriel
The Cleveland Browns currently sit at 2-5, with one of the league’s hottest teams in the New England Patriots coming up this week.
If the Browns lose, hope in the season will further dwindle. A win though could change everything. If Cleveland steals this game, they enjoy a bye week next week. Then they started an easier stretch of the schedule, with a chance to save the season.
While beating the Patriots will be no small task, the game plan to win will likely revolve around a rookie desperate to prove himself, quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
So far, Gabriel hasn’t done much to impress. He’s been able to manage games, complete short passes and, most importantly, avoid turnovers. His weakness has been pushing the ball downfield. He’s had a limited number of deep strikes, and the few he has attempted have been inaccurate.
In a win against the Miami Dolphins, Gabriel tossed just 116 yards and no touchdowns. He has only thrown two touchdowns so far, with both coming in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
This will be a game where Gabriel needs to prove he can lead the Browns. The Patriots have a strong defense, but their weakness has been in the passing game.
New England has the third best rushing defense in the NFL this season, allowing just 77.1 yards per game to opposing backfields. Rookie Quinshon Judkins has been amazing so far in Cleveland, but this will be one of his toughest tests this season. Cleveland has been trying to rely more on Judkins to run this offense, but this game will have to run through Gabriel.
Meanwhile, the Patriots rank just 24th in passing defense, allowing 235.7 yards per game to opposing quarterbacks. The team has also allowed over 20 points in four games this season, something the Browns will have to do if they want a chance to win.
Outside of star corner Christian Gonzalez, the Patriots secondary has been a weakness. Three starters have given up at least two touchdowns this season. Six opposing pass catchers have gone for over 90 yards against them this year.
No Browns have had more than 85 yards this season. The best individual receiving game for Cleveland this year was rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who caught seven passes for 81 yards against Pittsburgh. Cleveland's top wideout Jerry Jeudy's best game was a 66 yard performance in week one, with Joe Flacco throwing the ball.
This will be a key test for the Browns young quarterback. If Gabriel can prove he can let that ball fly, and hit his receivers for chunk plays, perception on the young quarterback will shift.
If Gabriel struggles and the offense feels limited once again, questions will arise on his legitimacy as a starting caliber quarterback.
If the Browns offense falls flat, it won’t be the end for Gabriel right away. He’ll still get a few more weeks to try and turn it around. However, real discussion about bringing in a quarterback like Shedeur Sanders will be had in Cleveland’s front office.
It only took 4 games for Jets fans to start calling for Aaron Glenn‘s job
The New York Jets had every opportunity to sit at .500, holding leads against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Weeks 1 and 3. They also should have shown more fight against the Miami Dolphins in Week 4.
Instead, the Jets sit at 0-4, drawing mounting criticism for the same issues: poor discipline and head-scratching mistakes that keep costing them games.
Fans and media have directed plenty of blame toward head coach Aaron Glenn, who preached a different mindset in the offseason as the path to turning New York around. A new regime promised to patch roster holes as well.
The offensive line looks improved, but everywhere else remains a mess. Nothing feels fixed. That’s why the finger-pointing at Glenn grows louder by the week, even if it’s still premature.
While Glenn deserves criticism, it's way too early to call for his job
It’s fair to point out the mistakes, as they’ve piled up fast.
Through four weeks, the Jets already rank dead last in turnover margin at –7, and no team in the last 20 years has gone this long without recording a single takeaway. They’ve committed 29 penalties for 268 yards, an early-season lack of discipline that has stalled drives on offense and extended them on defense.
In Week 4 against Miami, rookie Braelon Allen fumbled at the goal line on the opening drive, then left with a knee injury on special teams, the kind of sequence that summed up the Jets’ season so far.
Glenn deserves criticism for that sloppiness because accountability ultimately falls on the head coach. But the calls to fire him after four games ignore both the roster he inherited and the history of this franchise.
The Jets have been down this road too many times, moving on from Todd Bowles, Adam Gase, and Robert Saleh without ever giving most of them enough time to establish continuity. The result has been a carousel of systems and voices, a constant churn that has defined the “same old Jets” reputation more than the talent on the field.
This year’s team isn’t without bright spots. Justin Fields threw for 218 yards and rushed for 48 more in Week 1, showing flashes of why the front office brought him in, as well as in Week 4.
Breece Hall already has a 100-yard rushing game, proving he can still carry the offense when given lanes. The offensive line looks sturdier than in past years. Those pieces don’t flip a record in a month, but they do suggest there’s something to build on if the staff is given time to shape it.
Patience isn’t easy in New York, especially with an 0-4 start, but firing Glenn now would send the same tired message of panic. If the Jets want to break the cycle, they have to stick with a coach long enough to let the vision take hold. Otherwise, nothing changes, and the “same old Jets" mantra will live on.
