Browns set Dillon Gabriel up to fail and he is doing just that

The Cleveland Browns appear to be continuing a vicious cycle in 2025, with Dillon Gabriel at the forefront. The young quarterback was a third-round pick, only to find himself starting by Week 5. This came after preparing all summer as a backup behind Joe Flacco.

The result of rushing the rookie into action has been a disaster, proven once again in Sunday's boring 32-13 loss to the New England Patriots. Myles Garrett played out of his mind and finished with five sacks. His offense supported him with 13 points. This is the same old story for Garrett and the Browns.

Gabriel was forced to pass 35 times as the run game was shut down once again. He did finish with two touchdowns, but also had two ugly interceptions and a safety due to intentional grounding in the end zone. The clip of that play may end up telling the story of the 2025 season.

WTF IS THIS?! SAFETY 😱😱 pic.twitter.com/WrgwDWvEuX
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) October 26, 2025

Gabriel looks lost out there. He failed to connect with Jerry Jeudy even one time in Sunday's loss, which is inexcusable. Wide receivers accounted for two total receptions out of his 21 completions, and both went to Jamari Thrash.

How else was this going to go? Gabriel was not drafted to be the starter. In fact, he was arguably QB3 all summer when both Flacco and Kenny Pickett were in town competing for the starting job. There was also never any indication he was ready for this role. He was just thrust into it by default once Flacco began struggling.

For now, Kevin Stefanski claims he is sticking with Gabriel.

Browns HC Kevin Stefanski said he is going to “look at everything” but is sticking with rookie Dillon Gabriel at QB.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) October 26, 2025

The Browns have a bye week upcoming and that means two full weeks of people clamoring for Shedeur Sanders to start in Week 10 against the New York Jets.

But those fans must remember, that would mean another rookie quarterback is being thrown onto the field far earlier than anticipated. While Sanders could indeed prove to be a solid option, Browns history is not on his side. The offense has looked pitiful under Flacco and Gabriel, potentially setting up Sanders to fail as well. The wide receiving corps is not going to magically change over the next two weeks. In fact, Andrew Berry may start to decide trading key players en masse. How would that help Sanders?

The Browns are 2-6 for the second year in a row. The coaching staff and front office appeared to be safe, especially with owner Jimmy Haslam's recent comments essentially blaming this mess on the Deshaun Watson trade.

But if Sanders eventually gets the nod and looks as bad as Gabriel, it may be time to start looking at those picking and coaching the players at the most important position in sports.