Dillon Gabriel Faces Criticism After Heated Exchange with Steelers’ Patrick Queen

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.”

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.

Broncos Player Grades from 27-7 Preseason Win Over Cardinals

The Denver Broncos handily beat the Arizona Cardinals in their second preseason game, 27-7, with a strong showing from the offense, led by quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator Davis Webb. The Broncos still had their down moments on offense and especially on defense, in terms of individual play, but overall, it was a better team showing than their first game.

When it comes to individual play, I always go over the film and put the players through my grading system that catalogues all 11 Broncos on every single play. For the preseason, the minimum snap count to qualify for a grade is 10, but for the article, four players on both sides of the ball will be highlighted in each category.

Quarterback: Jarrett Stidham | QB | Grade: 75.2

Stidham played an excellent game, and if the starting job weren’t Bo Nix’s, he would be making a case to be the starter. He was quick with his decision-making and played with good toughness and poise in the pocket. There's a reason Sean Payton coveted Stidham, and we're starting to see why.

Jordan Turner | LB | Grade: 80.2

Turner was on fire against the Cardinals, making plays left and right for the Broncos. He'll need to clean up his play in coverage and as a tackler, but as a downhill player, a run defender, and a blitzer, he has flashed throughout the preseason.

Pat Bryant | WR | Grade: 78.4

Welcome to the NFL, rookie. Bryant had a great game, despite not scoring, as he made play after play as a receiver and was excellent with his blocking. Again, he plays faster than he was timed at the NFL Combine, and can make an impact in multiple aspects of the offense.

Quinton Newsome | CB | Grade: 77.3

There were issues with the Broncos' secondary, but Newsome put together a good game on his 17 snaps played, 12 of them in coverage. It was a limited showing against the run, with only four snaps against the run, but he showed promise working downhill.

Troy Franklin | WR | Grade: 76.9

Franklin continues to shine and show improvements in the key areas he needed to show. There is effort as a blocker, better ball tracking, hands, timing, route running, and a bigger build. After last year, there was nowhere to go but up for Franklin, and he is making that climb.

Jonah Elliss | OLB | Grade: 75.1

The Broncos' third pass rusher is showing tremendous improvements as a run defender, and still looks dangerous as a pass rusher. There are some lingering areas he can improve to be even better, but he is looking like he will be a threat for this defense when he rotates in.

Dondrea Tillman | OLB | Grade: 73.2

After a rough first game, Tillman bounced back in a big way against the Cardinals, where he made some good plays as a pass rusher and as a run defender. He stood out in all three phases, including coverage, which is needed as he is competing with Que Robinson for depth chart supremacy.

Caden Prieskorn | TE | Grade: 65.7

Prieskorn doesn’t play fast, nor is he fast, but he is tough and physical, and it showed often, as did his versatility. If not for a goal-line fumble as he fought for a touchdown, he would’ve ended up with the highest grade for the offense.

Calvin Throckmorton | IOL | Grade: 62.5

It wasn’t a great start for Throckmorton, who was showing inconsistency as a run blocker and pass protector, but he settled down in the second quarter. The Broncos have been looking for interior depth linemen to step up this summer. In the wake of Nick Gargiulo's injury vs. the Cardinals, Throckmorton showed some signs of life in the competition.

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Clay Webb | IOL | Grade: 21.7

There were a lot of bad showings on the offensive line, but Webb was terrible out there. Despite being a modestly coveted prospect who fell out of the draft due to legal issues that have since been resolved, Webb isn’t showing that pedigree and doesn’t look like he belongs in the NFL through two games.

Will Sherman | IOL | Grade: 23.5

Sherman played all but one snap on offense, and he had few good reps. If you saw a play, either a run or a pass, get disrupted, it was a safe bet that Sherman was the culprit. This is an example of playing yourself off the roster and practice squad.

Garrett Wallow | LB | Grade: 33.2

Wallow played the minimum required snaps with 10 and had an impact on half of those plays. He generated one solid pressure, but allowed a catch for 10 yards, missed a tackle, and messed up lane assignment on two of his three plays against the run.

Lucas Krull | TE | Grade: 34.6

There isn’t anything to say about Krull that hasn’t been said before. He's a terrible blocker, and he hasn’t shown any improvement there in the preseason. As a receiver, he can be very passive, and he had one catch that hurt the Broncos' offense against the Cardinals.

Caleb Lohner | TE | Grade: 35.2

If you ever doubted Lohner as a project, this game may have intensified it. Multiple penalties on Lohner, which don’t get factored into grades, highlight how little experience he has. His lack of experience definitely plays a role in his grade, which is evident in his non-existent technique.

Devon Key | S | Grade: 41.7

Key had a good play early in the game, working downhill as a run defender, but he faltered after that. There were multiple plays where he looked out of position or got caught looking, and the Cardinals were able to take advantage of it.

Sai’vion Jones | IDL | Grade: 45.2

Coming out of the first preseason game, it was clear Jones has work to do as a run defender, and Saturday night only underlined it even more. He was struggling to hold up on the line against the run, and his attempts at getting off blocks often led to him getting taken out of position.

Jahdae Barron | CB | Grade: 47.6

Is it time to be concerned about Barron yet? He's a good tackler, excelling in downhill situations and run defense, but his coverage play has been inconsistent. The Cardinals missed several opportunities against Barron for one reason or another.

P.J. Locke | S | Grade: 64.3

With Locke coming back from back surgery, there were a lot of eyes on him to see what he would do to help the depth at the position. He played well and should’ve locked himself in as the third safety who can step in and fill for Brandon Jones or Talanoa Hufanga.

JL Skinner | S | Grade: 65.2

Safety depth has been a concern for the Broncos, and Locke isn’t the only one who is helping ease those concerns. Through two games, Skinner has been a force for the Broncos' defense, and while he may not be the third safety, he should lock up a depth spot.

Keidron Smith | S | Grade: 61.1

The third safety to make the list, Smith made the roster last year because of the turnovers he generated in the preseason, which isn’t happening this year. He had a good game working downhill as a run defender, but it may be too little too late when it comes to making the roster.

Blake Watson | RB | Grade: 60.3

The Broncos running backs have a clear pecking order. It seems likely that four running backs make the roster, and Watson is fighting for the practice squad. You can see his explosiveness and quickness, but ball security is an issue. It didn’t show up in the game, but during practice this week, he put the ball on the ground twice in a three-play sequence.

Audric Estime | RB | Grade: 58.8

When you get to Estime, it's clear he doesn’t have the speed and burst that the other backs do, and while he still churns out yards, lacking speed and burst is very limiting. He has a chance to make the practice squad as a young 2024 fifth-round selection who can bring power, but that's up in the air with one preseason game left.

Levelle Bailey | LB | Grade: 58.7

Bailey's coverage looks clean and natural, likely because he is a former safety, and he performed well in coverage against the Cardinals. However, there are significant issues with his run defense, particularly in how delayed he can be when making the read. He still has the speed and athleticism to get involved, but the processor needs to pick up speed.

Frank Crum | OT | Grade: 48.6

The Broncos' backup tackle looks better than he did last year, but is still struggling with consistency, especially in his technique. It was a shock to see Crum make it as a fifth tackle last year, and he hasn’t played at a level to justify a roster spot. He seems poised for the practice squad, at best.