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Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel took the blame for taking six sacks in Sunday’s 23-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The third-round pick was battered throughout the afternoon at Acrisure Stadium.
Gabriel faced constant pressure from Pittsburgh’s defense, getting hit 16 times total. He completed 29 of 52 passes for 221 yards without a touchdown as the Browns fell to 1-5.
After the game, Gabriel said he needs to release the ball faster to help the offense avoid negative plays.
“I think on the second, there’s things that I can help to do to try and get it out as quick as possible, just so we’re not in the negative on first and second down. So things, you know, we got to learn from,” Gabriel said in the post-game media conference (h/t Scott Petrak of the Chronicle Telegram).
The Steelers’ defense dominated from start to finish. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey recorded two sacks, while linebacker Nick Herbig added two more. Pittsburgh’s pressure never let up as they kept Cleveland out of the end zone for the entire game.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski defended keeping Gabriel. He never considered inserting backup quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who watched from the sideline.
“He’s a tough kid. We’ve got to keep him clean. Obviously, when the game turns into how it turned a two-score game, you have to drop back, and that’s a tough team to drop back versus,” Stefanski said in the post-game media conference. “He kept battling. Wasn’t for a lack of effort by him or by anybody. Made some plays, but we just got to be better.”
Stefanski added that the coaching staff shares responsibility for the protection issues.
“We know this kid’s tough. We know he’s tough. He’s going to keep fighting. We just got to around him, make some plays. We got to coach him up,” the coach said.
Sanders was elevated to backup after the Browns traded Joe Flacco to Cincinnati. The rookie has yet to play in a regular-season game, but could see action if Gabriel’s struggles continue. The Browns have failed to score more than 17 points in 11 straight games.
Gabriel’s performance in his second career start raised more questions than answers. The Browns need better protection and quicker decisions from their rookie quarterback moving forward.
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