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Browns QB battle tracker: How Shedeur Sanders preseason stats compare to Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett

What’s an NFL preseason without a little quarterback controversy?

The Browns have the most notable quarterback battle on their hands as Week 2 of the preseason rolls on, with a starter yet to be named by head coach Kevin Stefanski. The 17-year veteran, Joe Flacco, will likely be the one calling the signals on Sept. 7, but Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Pickett all remain in contention for the backup job.

Gabriel got his chance to prove he belongs on the field on Saturday against the Eagles. He had his work cut out for him, as Sanders shined in his NFL debut last week against the Panthers, throwing for 138 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in three quarters of play.

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Cleveland plans to keep all four quarterbacks on its 53-man roster for Week 1 of the regular season. As such, each practice and preseason game is an evaluation period in one of the league’s most fascinating quarterback competitions.

Here’s a look at where things stand in Cleveland in Week 2 of the preseason. 

MORE SHEDEUR SANDERS:

Browns QB depth chart

The Browns released an unofficial depth chart before their preseason game on Aug. 16. Here is where each quarterback fell:

QB Player
1 Joe Flacco
2 Kenny Pickett
3 Dillon Gabriel
4 Shedeur Sanders
5 Tyler Huntley
PUP Deshaun Watson

While Flacco remains the presumptive starter, Gabriel got the opportunity to play in a live game on Saturday as he competes for the backup job. The Oregon product missed the opener against the Panthers last week with a hamstring injury,

Pickett has been dealing with a hamstring injury for a few weeks and did not play against his former team. With Sanders nursing an oblique injury, Gabriel played the first half before Huntley took over in the third quarter.

The second-round pick looked confident to begin the game, completing all four of his passes on a 13-play, 63-yard opening drive that resulted in a touchdown.

Gabriel continued his hot start on his next drive, but everything came screeching to a halt when the Browns got to the red zone. The quarterback held the ball a couple seconds too long and tried to force it into a tight window. He then watched the Eagles’ Andrew Mukuba sprint to the end zone for a pick-six.

After leading the Browns down the field for a field goal on his third drive, Gabriel was credited with a fumble on the first play of the next drive. He couldn’t connect on a handoff and Mukuba recovered the ball for Philadelphia.

What happened after Gabriel came out of the game soon became the bigger story of the day. He made some comments about his performance in a sideline interview, and social media quickly jumped to conclusions, claiming he was taking a shot at Sanders.

Gabriel clarified after the game that he was not talking about Sanders, saying he was referring to the media with the phrase “entertainers.”

With his performance on the field, Gabriel didn’t hurt himself in the grand scheme of things, but he didn’t really help himself either. He looked comfortable for much of the first half and made some nice throws downfield. However, in a tight competition, his poor decision that led to a pick-six may prove to be a difference maker. Gabriel responded well after his mistake, but Stefanski will likely need to see more from him in live situations to feel comfortable giving him the backup job.

Stefanski said following the team’s second preseason game that he hopes that both Sanders and Pickett will be able to ramp up their participation in practice ahead of the third preseason game. 

MORE: Shedeur Sanders oblique injury recovery timeline: How long Browns rookie will be out

Dillon Gabriel stats

  • Comp/Att: 13/18
  • Yards: 183
  • TD: 0
  • INT: 1
  • Rating: 72.2
  • Rush attempts: 2
  • Rush yards: 1
  • Fumbles: 1

Dillon Gabriel highlights

The first notable play from Gabriel was a tight-window throw on his first drive, allowing the Browns to move the chains on third down.

Gabriel continued to navigate the offense well, and running back Ahmani Marshall capped the drive with a touchdown.

Gabriel drove another nice throw down the field on his next drive, connecting with Cedric Tillman.

However, the worst throw of the day for Gabriel came shortly after that, as Mukuba stepped in between two receivers and took it the other way for a score. 

Gabriel’s final line in his NFL debut:

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