Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Under Fire for Controversial Behavior vs. Steelers
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Cleveland Browns
quarterback Dillon Gabriel is facing criticism for an apparent cheap shot during a 23-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Gabriel was under constant pressure in the matchup. He was sacked six times and took more than a dozen hits. He seemed to take exception to one hit from Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen. After taking the hit, Gabriel appeared to yank Queen by the facemask when he was on the ground.
“Wow,” CBS commentator and former NFL star J.J. Watt said on the broadcast. “Interesting at the end of that play.”
#BROWNS ROOKIE DILLON GABRIEL HIT A #STEELERS DEFENDER.
HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.
😳😳😳
The clip quickly went viral and Gabriel was called out for his actions.
“He threw a little tantrum,” one fan said. “Getting frustrated out there.”
“Dillon Gabriel is allowed to punch a linebacker but the Steelers can’t make a tackle. Make it make sense,” another fan said.
“That boy is crashing out already,” a fan said.
Browns Looking to Keep Dillon Gabriel ‘Clean’
Gabriel had a whopping 52 passing attempts in the matchup, many of those coming in the second half with the Browns chasing from behind. Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski said the team needs to do a better job at protecting their rookie quarterback.
“He’s a tough kid. We got to keep him clean. Obviously when the game turned into a two-score game you’ve got to drop back, and that’s a tough team to drop back versus. He kept battling. It wasn’t for lack of effort by him or anybody,” Stefanski said. “He made some plays. But we’ve just got to be better.”
The Browns dropped to 1-5 with the loss and Gabriel is 0-2 as the starter. He’s eager for a win but is also trying not to look too far ahead.
“I try not to look big picture, just be present. I think other people in our building have the ability to look at that. But, for me, it’s, like, how can we be good right now and be the best version of ourselves,” Gabriel said. “We obviously know that there are younger guys that are hungry and are gaining experience at the moment. But like I said, there’s got to be growth day to day, week-to-week. And it’s got to translate to a better outcome.”
Browns Offense Weighing Changes After Loss to Steelers
The Browns’ offense continues to sputter near the bottom of the league, averaging an NFL-worst 13.7 points per game. Stefanski said the issues aren’t limited to one area — the unit needs improvement across the board to find its rhythm.
“I don’t think it’s as simple as that. Obviously today we weren’t able to run the ball effectively and then got behind there in the second half,” Stefanski said. “We were 0-for-3 in the red zone. I know those were two-minute drives, a lot of them. We’ve got to find a way to score points, got to run ball the efficiently. Gotta find a way to be better in the pass game, all of the above.”
The Browns have now gone 11 consecutive games without scoring more than 17 points, dating back to last season. They’ll look to change that trend next week against the Miami Dolphins.
Browns Insider Confirms David Njoku Will Stay Despite Trade Rumors
The Cleveland Browns have been active in the trade market, but it appears they won’t be trading one impact offensive weapon.
Cleveland has already dealt Joe Flacco and Greg Newsome II and could look to trade off more pieces before the trade deadline. However, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot reported on X that Cleveland is unlikely to trade star tight end David Njoku.
