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.

Browns’ Latest QB Workout Sparks Shedeur Sanders Speculation

On Friday, the Cleveland Browns conducted several player workouts, among them a session with an ex-quarterback from the Jacksonville Jaguars. That move has led to more speculation about Shedeur Sanders.

According to Zac Jackson of The Athletic, the team evaluated Seth Henigan, a 22-year-old undrafted prospect from Memphis who had signed with the Jaguars earlier in 2025.

Also among those auditioning for Cleveland was wideout Brenden Rice, previously with USC and the offspring of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.

The Browns presently roster four quarterbacks, counting rookie starter Dillon Gabriel and rookie backup Sanders. Bailey Zappe occupies a practice-squad spot and functions as the third-string or emergency option for game days, while Deshaun Watson remains on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform List while recovering from two Achilles tendon ruptures.

Offensive specialist and play-caller Kevin Stefanski leads the Browns and might opt to keep an additional quarterback on the practice squad. The club could also be eyeing Henigan as a potential upgrade over Zappe in the third-string role.

Recent trade chatter has centered on Sanders as the NFL’s Nov. 4 deadline approaches, a factor that might influence Cleveland’s strategy if management is seriously contemplating dealing the fifth-round selection without him ever taking a regular-season snap.

Henigan measures 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. Over four seasons as Memphis’s starting quarterback (50 contests), he connected on 64% of his throws for 14,226 yards and 104 passing touchdowns.

More than likely, Sanders will not be dealt before the upcoming NFL trade deadline. However, it’s not a guarantee that he will remain with the Browns.

Expect to continue hearing rumors surrounding the former Colorado standout. Should Cleveland make a move to sign someone like Henigan, the rumors would get extremely loud.

“HE GAVE UP $100 MILLION.” — In a move that stunned Wall Street and inspired Wisconsin, Packers President & CEO Ed Policy turned down a record-breaking corporate deal to build something money can’t buy — hope.

A $100 Million Decision That Redefined Success

The headlines hit like a Lambeau snowstorm: Ed Policy, the man steering one of America’s most storied franchises, had just turned down a corporate offer worth more than

$100 million — an unprecedented figure tied to future naming rights, sponsorships, and media branding deals.
But instead of signing the contract, he walked away.

And in doing so, he reminded not just Green Bay, but the entire nation, that

some legacies can’t be bought — only built.

At a press event inside the Lambeau Field Atrium, Policy spoke with quiet conviction:

“I’ve been part of this game long enough to know that football can create more than revenue — it can create purpose. We’ve built champions. Now, it’s time to build character.”

The crowd of reporters went silent, and within hours, social media erupted with admiration. Fans called him “the heart of Titletown” and “the CEO who turned business into belief.”

Introducing the ‘Next Play Foundation’

The Next Play Foundation, Policy’s newest community initiative, will focus on three key pillars:

Education Access: funding scholarships for underserved students across Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
Youth Mentorship: pairing Packers players and alumni with at-risk teens to teach leadership, teamwork, and discipline.
Sports Empowerment: building small-town athletic facilities and youth leagues to keep kids active, safe, and inspired.

“Every kid deserves a next play,” Policy explained. “If they stumble, if life knocks them down, they need someone to help them line up again — and that’s what this is about.”

Early reports say the foundation will launch with $15 million in seed funding, mostly from private donors, Packers alumni, and local business partnerships. The Packers organization has also pledged to match donations up to $10 million over the next three years.

A Legacy Built in Green and Gold

For Packers fans, this moment feels like more than philanthropy — it feels like tradition reborn.

In Green Bay, football has always been about family, not fame. It’s the only major sports franchise in America

owned by the community itself. Every fan who buys a share, every kid who grows up in a Lambeau parking lot, every family that braves subzero temperatures — they’re part of something bigger.

And Policy’s decision, in many ways, protects that spirit.

“Some things should never be for sale,” he said, when asked about the rejected deal. “Lambeau Field isn’t a brand — it’s a promise.”

Those words hit deep. On X (formerly Twitter), the hashtag #HeartOfTitletown began trending across the Midwest, filled with fan tributes and memories of Packers legends — Bart Starr, Reggie White, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers — and now, in their eyes, Ed Policy joins that list of names who chose heart over fame.

Players and Coaches React: “That’s the Packers Way.”

Inside the locker room, the reaction was immediate.

Linebacker Micah Parsons, who joined Green Bay this year, posted:

“This is leadership. Period. We talk about culture — this is culture.”

Quarterback Jordan Love said during his weekly press conference:

“It’s not about what we have — it’s about what we give. That’s why being a Packer means something.”

Even Head Coach Matt LaFleur added his own praise:

“The best play calls don’t come from a headset — they come from the heart. And that’s what Ed just did for this city.”

Fans Across Wisconsin Respond

Outside Lambeau Field, a group of fans began taping handwritten notes to the Vince Lombardi statue. One read:

“Thank you for keeping our soul intact.”

Another, written by a high-school teacher in Appleton, said:

“My students are talking about Ed Policy more than Sunday’s score — and that’s a win that lasts.”

The local Green Bay Gazette described the move as “a masterclass in leadership and humanity,” while Sports Illustrated called it “the kind of story America needs right now.”

More Than Football — It’s the Green Bay Way

In a world obsessed with billion-dollar deals, Ed Policy’s choice feels like an echo of Vince Lombardi’s timeless wisdom:

“Success is not measured in money or fame, but in the hearts you touch and the lives you change.”

And for Policy, those aren’t just words — they’re his playbook.

He closed his speech with a simple reflection that perfectly captures what makes Green Bay unique:

“We’ve built trophies. Now it’s time to build futures.”

As snow began to fall outside Lambeau that night, fans lingered by the gates, proud, emotional, and grateful. Because in Titletown, this wasn’t just another press conference — it was a reminder that the Packers’ greatest victories will always be the ones that happen off the field.

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