The Cleveland Browns have handed the keys of the offense to rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who will make the first start of his NFL career next Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings in London.
Gabriel spoke with media members on Wednesday, October 1, about the opportunity now in front of him after usurping Joe Flacco in the role of Browns‘ starting QB.
“I think from the beginning, it’s the moment you look forward to as a competitor. But it’s part of my job to be ready — to be that sense of hope for everyone to continue to be better, and come together and create momentum for each other,” Gabriel said. “So, excited for that, but just also extremely focused [on] doing my job at a high level.”
Dillon Gabriel Faces Considerable Challenge in 1st NFL Start Against Vikings Defense, Brian Flores
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
The rookie QB couldn’t ask for a much more difficult test than taking on a talented Vikings defense headed by coordinator Brian Flores, widely regarded as one of the best schemers in the league and known for confusing opposing quarterbacks.
Gabriel also spoke to that specific challenge Wednesday.
“Yeah, a lot of respect for what he’s done. But even this year, I think he’s just a unique defensive mind and has created a lot of turnovers, a lot of negative plays — confusion,” Gabriel said. “I think it’s just going to be a great challenge for us all, coming together. We got a lot of respect and how we attacked our craft with diligence and want to make sure that we’re ready for that moment. But like I said, a lot of respect for our competition.”
Browns May Change Game Plan Significantly After Switching From Joe Flacco to Dillon Gabriel
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
There is a reasonable chance that the Browns will ask Gabriel to do a lot of passing in his first start based on how the offense played with Flacco under center.
Obviously, Flacco is a much more experienced player with a different skill set from Gabriel, but he was throwing the football 40 times per game over the first month of the season. Gabriel probably won’t throw that much, particularly in his first start against a defensive mind the caliber of Flores, but the pass attack is liable to remain the primary focus of the Browns‘ offense moving forward — at least from the perspective of the ratio of pass-to-run plays called.
Part of the reason Flacco threw so much was the absence of rookie running back Quinshon Judkins from the team’s Week 1 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals and his more limited role in his first-ever NFL game in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Judkins has amassed 39 carries for 176 yards and two TDs over the past two games combined, and the Browns will certainly look to continue fostering his growth and momentum, which should also provide more breathing room for Gabriel against a fearsome Minnesota pass rush.
Flacco also aired the ball out as much as he did over the first four games of the year because Cleveland found itself down by wide margins in both Week 2 against Baltimore and last weekend against the Detroit Lions. By controlling the clock and time of possession through the ground game, the Browns can limit the number of passes Gabriel has to throw, thereby also cutting down on the number of opportunities he will have to make serious mistakes.
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