Browns WR Jerry Jeudy Makes Feelings Clear on QB Shift to Dillon Gabriel
The Cleveland Browns are making a change at quarterback, hoping it can spark the offense and top wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.
The Browns announced the shift to Dillon Gabriel this week. He’ll replace 40-year-old Joe Flacco, who struggled during the team’s 1-3 start. Cleveland is averaging just 14 points per game and explosive plays have been hard to come by.
Jeudy has struggled, in particular. He has just 13 catches for 182 yards and has not found the end zone yet. Jeudy is confident in Gabriel as he enters as the Browns‘ new QB1.
“Dillon, he’s a smart dude,” Jeudy said. “He knows where to go with the ball. He knows what the coaching staff wants within the offense. He does a great job of that.”
Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Big Fan of Jerry Jeudy
Gabriel has had limited time working with the first team offense. But he’s familiar with Jeudy’s game and praised his top target.
“I’m the biggest fan of Jerry. I would be surprised to find anyone that thinks more highly of him than me, just the way he works, the way he attacks his day to day, but how much he loves the game as well. He shows his passion, and he’s a guy that we’re going to rely on, I’ll continue to rely on and a guy we’ll feed because he’s a big part of what we do,” Gabriel said. “So I think as we continue to build it, it’ll be building reps together and continuity, but I think that that’ll grow as time progresses.”
The Browns are shorthanded at wide receiver. Cedric Tillman was placed on injured reserve this week. He recorded 11 receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns over the first four games of the season. The Browns signed receivers Malachi Corley and Gage Larvadain to the active roster on Tuesday.
Browns WR Jerry Jeudy Putting Critical Drop Behind Him
Jeudy has had his share of drops this season, including during the Browns’ Week 4 loss to the Lions. It ignited a fiery rant from Jeudy in the locker room after the 34-10 loss.
“That (expletive) got me hot, bro,” Jeudy said after the game. “I make that damn play, bro. It was a big-time play. I got to catch them (expletive). I catch them (expletive) every day in practice. I make that play, bro. (Expletive) frustrating. … Man, as a receiver on this team, bro, as a wide receiver, I got to make those (expletive) plays, man.”
Jeudy says he’s put that play behind him and is eager to get back on track.
“No, I dwell on it on that day,” Jeudy said. “Other than that, I just move on, move forward. You know, this [is] football. It’s part of the game. That wasn’t my first drop, and that’s not going to be my last, you know, if you’re being honest. So, you know, I don’t really pay too much time on it. I do what I need to do to fix it and then move on from there.”
Jeudy and the Browns are a 3.5-point underdog this week as they take on the Minnesota Vikings in London.
Isaiah Simmons on the Verge of Being Cut After Falling Short in Preseason Games
The Green Bay Packers believed they had found a steal in Isaiah Simmons, based on how he performed during OTAs and continued to impress in training camp. Simmons had been stealing the show at Packers practices.
“But the Packers are giving Simmons a chance to focus on just one position at linebacker, and there's a chance he could provide something meaningful in a specific subpackage role. Also, it's clear he's the preferred backup option at linebacker, so if nothing else, Simmons looks like a good bet to make the 53 at this point in camp,” Packers Wire's Zach Kruse wrote.
His teammates also took notice of his performance on the defensive side of the ball. Even Josh Jacobs referred to him as a unicorn.
“First, he can run,” Jacobs said. “He can run. He’s kind of a unicorn in that position. We can put him out on guys in the slot. He can cover guys. Really, man, I just can’t wait to see him in pads. I want to see how physical he is. Obviously, I’ve played against him a couple of times, so I know what player he is — but it’s different when you see him like that.”
However, after a poor showing in his first preseason game, Simmons had a chance to redeem himself in the second. Unfortunately, he performed even worse.
His future in Green Bay is looking bleak. Some even compared his play to that of an undrafted free agent.
“On the first series alone, Isaiah Simmons badly misread a boot-action and gave up an uncontested 19-yard completion, and then got roasted downfield by rookie Tyler Warren for what should have been another big play. If you didn't know, you'd think he's a UDFA with a RAS of 3.0,” Kruse wrote.
These have been disappointing performances from Simmons, and it may be too late for him to recover. He has one final week to prove himself, but if he doesn’t start playing like the first-round draft pick he once was, he could be out of a job — possibly for good — in the NFL.
