Rising, Falling, Steady: Breaking Down the Browns’ Quarterback Performances
August 24, 2025
The final audition for spots on the QB depth chart in Cleveland came on Saturday afternoon. Flacco took the first team reps as expected as he’ll be the day one starter come opening day. Flacco looked sharp which is good to see, he’s just the type of guy you root for…even if he is a Brown. Maybe it’s just that I like to root for the older guys these days.
Dillon Gabriel came in second and he did not disappoint. Gabriel looked much more in control this time around, working through reads and not looking to run nearly as much as he did in his debut. One play had him rolling out of the pocket as he escaped pressure from the d line and delivered a strike to the front pylon in the endzone that was dropped. It would have been a remarkable catch but it just displays the type of playmaking ability that Gabriel has in his toolbox. His final drive would come in a two minute drill scenario after his defense gave up a score. The throw of the drive saw him hit his wideout on a flag route, taking him out of bounds inside the Rams 5 yard line. Gabriel would then throw a touchdown to an open receiver to end the half.
Shedeur Sanders took over heading into the third quarter looking to make a statement for his own case in securing the QB2 spot on the roster. After missing last week due to an oblique injury, while Gabriel impressed in his debut, it felt as though there was some ground to make up for the 5th round rookie. There really was not a whole lot of positives to write about here as he only completed three of his six attempts. Sanders took a few very costly sacks where he was trying to do too much with his legs resulting in big losses for the Browns offense. He’d finish the day with no touchdowns, no interceptions and one lost fumble.
Ultimately, it’s the same message as earlier in the preseason when everyone was anointing Sanders as the second coming of Mahomes after his week 1 performance. Gabriel and Sanders are rookies, they’ll make mistakes, they’ll hopefully learn from them and there will be opportunity in 2025 to apply some of what they learn into real game action. The Browns will not be in the playoff race, there will be more reps down the road for both of them. Let’s not get too high or too low on these performances, there’s a long way to go and their stories are just getting started.
Keith, Author
Keith runs youth flag football leagues by day, and by night he hosts the podcast and writes articles with the confidence of a man who’s been rushing quarterbacks since dial-up. A longtime flag football DE and lifelong Falcons fan, he’s no stranger to heartbreak and enjoys watching the bears get slaughtered each week. Equal parts coach, critic, and chaos, Keith calls it like he sees it… even if it hurts.
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