The Cleveland Browns earned rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel the first victory of NFL career after losing in his first two starts, when they ran over the increasingly hapless Miami Dolphins 31-6 last Sunday. But Gabriel was barely a factor in the game, completing just 13 of 18 passes for 116 yards without a touchdown pass.
Now, in Week Eight, Gabriel faces his toughest test so far when he goes on the road and faces the league’s fifth-ranked defense, rated by points allowed per game, in the New England Patriots. In fact, the Patriots defense is predicted, in a new analysis by Bleacher Report, to be so frustrating for Gabriel that he will lose his starting job at some point after the game.
That means, according to the Bleacher Report prediction, Shedeur Sanders â the most heavily publicized quarterback to have never taken an NFL snap â will finally get his opportunity to serve as the Browns’ starter.
Gabriel Faces Toughest Test Against New England
Gabriel has faced three defenses so far . In his debut as a starter, the Browns managed 17 points against the Minnesota Vikings , a team that through Week Seven has now allowed 23.1 points per game. The following week, Gabriel and the Browns scraped together only nine points facing the Pittsburgh Steelers , a defense that has allowed 23.3 per game.
The 31-point total last week was somewhat impressive against Miami, which has become a shambles of a team, and whose defense ranks near the bottom of the league allowing 29.3 points per game.
New England has allowed only 19, making the Patriots one of only five teams to permit opponents fewer than 20 points per game through the first seven weeks of the season.
“Probably not the most promising matchup for stater Dillion Gabriel,” the B/R analysis said , in a video posted to the site on Friday. “And next week is the Browns’ bye week. When better than a bye week to switch to the backup quarterback and add a spark to the offense?”
Ideal Timing to Elevate Sanders to QB1
Making the switch after the Browns face the Patriots â assuming Gabriel does not rise to the occasion against the stingy New England D â would allow Sanders an extra week of practice reps, and those reps would be taken with the first team, the B/R video essay pointed out.
“Who would Shedeur be making his first start against?” asked Bleacher Report. “The Jets â who rank 26th out of 32 teams in terms of points allowed.”
That assertion in correct. The Jets defense has surrendered an average of 26.1 points over the team’s first seven games â which still makes them better than the Dolphins, but nonetheless an ideal team for a quarterback making first NFL start â and indeed, his first NFL appearance â to face, just to get his feet wet.
“The next few weeks have just shaped up as perfect timing for Cleveland to hand the reins to Shedeur Sanders, especially if Gabriel struggles against New England,” the B/R analysis concluded.
Sanders Health Could Stand in His Way
There is one complicating factor, however. That would be Sanders’ health. According to ESPN Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi in a Saturday report, the Browns plan to list Sanders as “questionable” on their injury report due to a back issue.
That means the backup quarterback against New England will likely be none other than former Patriots backup Bailey Zappe, who started eight games for New England in 2022 and 2023, coming away with wins in four of them â including a 38-15 trouncing of the Browns on October 16, 2022.
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