What Cleveland Browns' Kevin Stefanski Said About Dillon Gabriel's NFL Preseason Performance

The Cleveland Browns beat the Philadelphia Eagles 22-13 in a preseason matchup on Saturday. Browns rookie Dillon Gabriel got the start, and Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski spoke about the former Oregon Ducks' performance with the media after the game.

Gabriel finished the game with 138 passing yards and an interception returned for a touchdown by Eagles defensive back Andrew Mukuba. The former Oregon Duck was accurate, completing 13 of 18 pass attempts, but he also lost a fumble on a botched exchange with Browns running back Pierre Strong Jr.

Gabriel did not find the end zone on Saturday, but he led a touchdown drive in the first quarter.

Aug 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel warms up before action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Stefanski was asked about Gabriel's interception:

"Obviously that can never happen on that play," Stefanski said. "Not all interceptions are created equal, but we can't do that as a football team."

The Browns coach also reflected on the rookie quarterback's play. Gabriel started the first half for Cleveland and was relieved by Browns quarterback Tyler Huntley.

"Plenty to clean up. There's some things I thought he did well. I thought our offense as a whole on third down was very good early, which allowed us to stay on the field because I don't think we were great on first and second down. But, plenty to clean up," said Stefanski.

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Stefanski and the Browns also selected quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft, meaning both players will be compared to each other to start their respective careers.

Sanders did not play against Philadelphia as he deals with an oblique injury, but the former Colorado Buffaloes star turned heads in the Browns' first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.

Aug 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders looks on during the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Sanders threw two touchdowns for 138 passing yards with a 60.9 completion percentage. Sanders also protected the football, not throwing an interception.

Gabriel also spoke to the media after the game and spoke about his return to the field. Gabriel missed Cleveland's first preseason game with a hamstring injury.

"No adrenaline, just more excitement. You know, get to wakeup and go to game day. So that was a lot of fun and I think that process, getting back into it was good. But yea, it was a lot of fun," Gabriel said after making his debut in the NFL preseason.

Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski before the game at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Stefanski revealed some of his plans for naming the Browns starting quarterback for the regular season.

"We will treat the final preseason game in a dress rehearsal type way in the sense that we're gonna do a regular season schedule this week. . . . I want the guys to get used to getting a game plan, new plays, kind of evolving the offense, the defense, the special teams, so to speak. And then in terms of who plays and that type of thing, we'll talk about that later," said Stefanski.

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