Three takeaways from the Browns disappointing loss to the Patriots

A major test for the Cleveland Browns as they try to change the narrative surrounding this team. With a bye week and an easier back half of the schedule, a win would have given this team serious momentum.

Instead, both sides of the ball fell flat. There were small moments of hope, but not many. New England won 32-13, and the Browns continue to fall, reaching 2-6 on the year now. Here are three takeaways from the loss.

1. Dillon Gabriel fails his “prove it” game

This was a huge game for Gabriel. The Patriots have one of the best run defenses in the league, and one of the worst secondaries. The gameplan in Cleveland was going to have to revolve around Gabriel, not Judkins.

Most importantly, Gabriel was going to have to prove he could push the ball downfield, consistently hitting targets further than 10 yards away. He simply could not do that this game.

Wide receivers caught just two passes all game long, with Jamari Thrash catching both. Gabriel tried to force feed his tight ends all game long, and it stalled the offense.

He did throw a touchdown to both Harold Fannin and David Njoku, but outside of the first drive and a garbage time touchdown, it was rough. Gabriel threw an interception trying to force a ball over the middle to Njoku, and threw another one trying to throw one deep to Isaiah Bond.

He was inaccurate, scared and predictable, some of the worst things a quarterback can be. To make matters worse, he made an awful decision to throw a ball away from his own end zone with no receiver within 10 yards, leading to a safety.

Gabriel’s best trait had been keeping the ball safe and getting it out fast, but he could do neither against New England. Pressure clearly got to him.

This game could have changed momentum in Cleveland’s locker room, but instead, it’s right back to where they started. It’s unlikely he'll be benched following the bye week, but the organization will have to have serious discussion about seeing Shedeur Sanders on the field.

Gabriel has shown plenty of ability to manage games in his time so far, but if he wants a home in Cleveland, he has to show more.

2. Myles Garrett is the league’s best pass rusher

The defense was not great all day long. Outside of an interception from Carson Schwesinger, and a fumble late in the game caused by Mohamoud Diabate, Myles Garrett was the only Brown defender who felt like they could make an impact.

Garrett finished the day with a career-high five sacks, breaking an NFL record for the most career sacks before the age of 30. The game was also the Browns record for most sacks in a single game.

Garrett wrecked the Patriots offense in the red zone, throwing lineman around, eurostepping and doing whatever he could to bring Maye down.

Garrett now has 112.5 sacks in his outstanding career. Even when the Browns feel like they are at the bottom of the barrel, Garrett finds a way to give the fans something to smile about.

3. Play calling has been a disaster

In a game where the passing game had to work, and the running game needed to be creative, the play calling was brutal. The game started on a screen pass that lost yards, and never got much better.

One drive the Browns attempted a flea flicker into a screen that didn’t work, then tried to call a double pass into a screen that didn’t work again. The coaching staff saw the Browns struggling in their base play calls, and opted to try more complex, slow developing plays.

On simple concept plays there was limited separation in the passing game all day long, and no running lanes for Quinshon Judkins. Gabriel didn’t play well, and the play calling wasn’t helping the young quarterback.

The lone creative play that worked was an outside run designed for Malachi Corley that went for 31 yards. Outside of that, it was all predictable, with too many dump off options for a quarterback that needed to be challenged. A change at quarterback may help, but this offense has shown a lot of holes that need filled.