Dillon Gabriel made his first start in the NFL and he opened the game looking like the quarterback Duck fans saw last season.
In his first pro drive the third-round draft pick marched the Cleveland Browns downfield, completing passes on 3rd and 10, 3rd and 5, and 3rd and 2, 4-4 passing for 29 yards on a 13-play scoring drive for a 6-0 lead.
So far so good. On his next possession he marched the Browns down the field again, 41 yards in seven plays, but on 1st and 10 on the 31 he tried to force a pass into the left flat Andrew Mukuba jumped the route and returned it for a 75-yard touchdown.
Andrew Mukuba PICK-6!
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025
The @Eagles second-round pick takes Dillon Gabriel's pass to the house.
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On his third pro possession his squad put together a 10-play, 49-yard drive, sacked on third and 3 when the left tackle missed his assignment, the Browns settling for a field goal to take the lead 9-7.
He started the game 10-14 for 97 yards, but a bad exchange on a handoff led to a fumble, setting the Super Bowl Champions up at the Cleveland 31.
The Eagles capitalized on that mistake, scoring on a 9-yard pass from Kyle McCord to Ainias Smith.
You can say whatever you want about Dillon Gabriel’s height - it’s a low blow - but this kid can SPOT the ball… remember this is one of the greatest college football quarterbacks EVER
— John Frascella (Football) (@NFLFrascella) August 16, 2025
pic.twitter.com/FGzSzAosME
It added up to a C- start for the former Duck, three nice drives but two costly turnovers, a bad comparison to a nearly flawless performance by Shedeur Sanders in Week One, 14-23 for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a Browns victory.
Gabriel recovered nicely, hitting Kaden Davis over the middle for 29 yards on 2nd and 15 in the two-minute drill. On second and 20 he found Pierre Strong over the middle for 13 yards to move into field goal range, a successful two-minute drill, 13-12 at halftime.
On the stat sheet his first half came to 13-18 for 143 yards despite having to throw two passes away in the final drive. He executed the offense and moved the ball, but the two big errors marred his day.
His mobility is limited today by a strained hamstring that keeps him in the pocket, and may have contributed to the sloppy exchange on the wide running play. He and his running back looked a half-step out of synch.
The Browns' sixth quarterback (Deshaun Watson is out for the year following Achilles surgery) Tyler Huntley took over in the second half.