Stefanski Motives for Sticking With Browns’ Dillon Gabriel Revealed
As the Browns continue to struggle and rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel continues to look less and less like the team’s long-term solution at a position that has dogged the franchise for the better part of this millennium, the accusation has been firmly lodged against coach Kevin Stefanski that his decision to stick with Gabriel has something to do with a personal loyalty to Gabriel and/or a grudge against his fellow rookie, Shedeur Sanders.
That’s not just the ravings of downtrodden fans on social media or angry talk-radio hosts. The theory has been put forth by former players and media members as well. When Gabriel struggled badly against the Patriots, going 21-for-35 with two interceptions and 156 yards passing, and Stefanski said immediately after the game that he was sticking with Gabriel, it was widely taken as proof that Stefanski has some sort of ulterior motive.
The gist, as expressed by a gamut of ex-players from LeSean McCoy to Richie Incognito: Gabriel is Stefanski’s “guy” and the coach never wanted to draft Sanders, thus he is refusing to play him because to do so would be a blight on his judgment.
Browns Seeking to Give Dillon Gabriel a Chance
It’s a neat narrative, and there’s some logic there. But for longtime Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, it’s a bit twisted. The reasoning for sticking with Gabriel is not an anti-Sanders agenda, it’s just a desire to give the third-round pick a bit more time before turning to the fifth-rounder.
Asked directly whether Stefanski is, “scared to put Shedeur Sanders on the field because if Sanders succeeded, will it make him look bad?” Cabot replied: “There’s no way that’s the reason Sanders isn’t playing. If Stefanski isn’t playing Sanders, it’s because he wants to see more of Dillon Gabriel, and/or he doesn’t think Sanders is ready yet.”
Dillon Gabriel Has Struggled
There is a strong argument to be made for Sanders, no question. Though he was drafted two rounds after Gabriel, he was also considered, for most of last season at Colorado, to be a first-round talent and arguably the best QB in the draft. His stock cratered, but only after the season–what he did on the field was widely praised.
Gabriel has not showered himself in glory through his four starts. The Browns are 1-3, and he is averaging 117 yards per game with a rating of 78.2. No quarterback could keep his job with those kinds of numbers.
On the flip side, the Browns do not feel that a four-game snippet is fair to Gabriel–it gives him no opportunity to show that he’s grown–and that’s the reason Stefanski is sticking by him.
Browns Patient With Shedeur Sanders
For the Browns, putting Sanders on the field would be throwing him to the wolves. It’s not a good unit in general, and he is still getting up to speed on playing pro-style offense. Even Andrew Berry–Sanders is supposedly his “guy” in all this–acknowledged Sanders would need time.
Writes Cabot: “Remember, Browns GM Andrew Berry stated in August that for Sanders, it’s like going from English to Mandarin in terms of learning pro-style concepts and terminology. Three months is a brief period in which to come up that steep a learning curve. He has made tremendous progress in practice, and the Browns are excited about it.
“I would even venture to say that he’s doing better than expected at this point, largely because of his work ethic and high football acumen. I just think they want to put him in position to succeed, and even 18th-year pro Joe Flacco struggled with this offense. Sanders will play this season when the time is right.”
Commanders' nightmare loss to Seahawks continues to get worse with more unfortunate injury updates
The season is officially over for the Washington Commanders, and the nightmare somehow continues after the worst night in recent memory for this franchise.
The Commanders got blown out at home in primetime during a night that was supposed to be special with the throwback uniforms and Art Monk jersey retirement, but it turned into fans leaving in the middle of the second quarter, and a gruesome injury. You can move on from a loss, but seeing Jayden Daniels go down with a severe elbow injury was gut-wrenching.
Daniels' injury wasn't the only significant injury last night, as the hits continue with two more season-ending injuries
Luke McCaffrey suffers a season-ending injury
The game barely started before the Commanders suffered yet another injury, and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey went down after returning the opening kickoff. He went down awkwardly on his left side, which is now being diagnosed as a broken collarbone that will have him out for the rest of the year.
McCaffrey was starting to really find his role in the offense and special teams, and now his season comes to an end. He was second in the league in kickoff return yards with 769, and also averaged 18.5 yards per catch. The Commanders turned to McCaffrey after injuries to Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown, and he was showing a lot of promise with multiple tough catches.
He should be part of the offense next season, but another injury just shows even more how badly this team needs help at the position. The Commanders added Treylon Burks and hope to get a roster win from him, but major changes need to happen with McLaurin and Brown injured, and Deebo Samuel not under contract next season. The defense is another conversation, and they lost another starter for the rest of the season.
Marshon Lattimore is feared to have torn an ACL
The defense was an embarrassment once again, with the Seahawks blowing the team out before halftime, and it never got any better. Busted coverage and wide-open explosive plays were all over the field, and major changes need to happen on and off the field. It got even worse for Marshon Lattimore, who went down with an injury that is feared to be a torn ACL.
There's no easy way to put it, but it was a nightmare night for Lattimore. He played really well last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, but it's time to admit that this trade was a massive swing and a miss by Adam Peters. It's unfortunate to see the season go down like this for Laittmore in what is very likely his last game with the Commanders. He's under contract for next season as well, but I don't expect him to be here after the defense faces an overhaul this offseason, if not sooner.
Injuries have been the biggest headline of the season with multiple starters suffering long-term injuries, and the roster honestly needs an overhaul as well. It will be a long rest of the season, with a massive offseason coming up.
