SI

Dillon Gabriel's Hot Start Soured by Long Pick-Six in Preseason Debut

Andrew Mukuba intercepted Gabriel for a 75-yard pick-six.

Blake Silverman

Dillon Gabriel made his preseason debut for the Browns against the Eagles Saturday
Dillon Gabriel made his preseason debut for the Browns against the Eagles Saturday / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
In this story:

Rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel got the start for the Browns in their preseason game against the Eagles Saturday. He missed their first preseason contest last week while nursing a hamstring injury, but got his first opportunity to run the offense in Philadelphia.

He got out to a hot start at Lincoln Financial Field, leading an eight-minute touchdown drive that was capped off with a four-yard rush by Ahmani Marshall for a score. Gabriel completed eight of his nine passing attempts for 73 yards in a nearly perfect first quarter.

The early good fortune changed when the second quarter began, however, as he threw an interception which Eagles rookie Andrew Mukuba returned 75 yards for a touchdown.

Mukuba added another turnover later in the second quarter, recovering a fumble on an awkward transfer between Gabriel and running back Pierre Strong.

An incredible sequence for the first-year safety who Philadelphia chose in the second round of this year's NFL draft.

Gabriel's fellow Browns rookie QB Shedeur Sanders was sidelined Saturday after he suffered an oblique strain following his exciting preseason debut last week. He threw some short passes during warmups, providing some optimism that he could be available for the team's preseason finale next week against the Rams.

Sanders's absence and Gabriel's availability paved the way for the former Oregon QB to play the entire first half for Cleveland Saturday where there was some good and some bad. After the turnovers, Gabriel finished the half strong, leading a drive where he connected on a 29-yard pass that set the Browns up for a field goal as time expired in the second quarter.

In total, he had 143 yards while completing 13 of his 18 passing attempts in the first half of his preseason debut.

More NFL on Sports Illustrated

feed

Published
Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.

Home/NFL