Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

‘It’s As Bad As It Can Get’ – NFL Analyst Goes Off on the Cleveland Browns’ Quarterback Situation with Dillon Gabriel under Center

Will the Browns make the swirch to Shedeur Sanders?

Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

While this should not come as a surprise to many, the Cleveland Browns once again find themselves in a deep hole with a 2-6 start to their season.

Even though no team in the AFC North is running away with the division as of yet, with 6 losses already, it is safe to say that the Browns will not be playing football in late January once again. And once again, the main point of discussion revolves around the quarterback, this time Dillon Gabriel.

Chris Canty Calls for Shedeur Sanders to Start

Having seen more than enough from the Browns’ starting quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, after just 4 starts, NFL analyst Chris Canty is calling for a change under center. Canty has been quite vocal about his issues with Gabriel, and he feels the Browns need to start their other rookie signal caller, Shedeur Sanders, effective immediately.

“Dillon Gabriel is not an NFL quarterback,” said Canty on ESPN’s ‘First Take’. “It’s time for Shedeur (Sanders) to be in the lineup. Otherwise, you’re gonna see Myles (Garrett) slamiing that helmet some more.”

What Canty referred to in the second part of his statement was the Browns’ defensive end Myles Garrett slamming his helmet in frustration after Gabriel threw two interceptions in the second half of the game against the New England Patriots. The Browns lost 32-13 in a game in which Garrett had 5 sacks.

In a separate take, Canty had also talked about his astonishment over Kevin Stefanski’s reluctance to start Sanders in place of Gabriel despite all the disappointment that the latter has been.

“It boggles my mind that Kevin Stefansky is adamant about sticking with Dylan Gabriel after the bye week, after we’ve seen the quarterback throughout the course of his first four starts rank dead last in yards per pass attempt, yards per drop back, air yards per attempt, and have the second-worst QBR during that span. The guy can’t throw the ball down the field.”

Should the Browns Bench Dillon Gabriel in Favor of Sanders?

Ever since Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders were drafted by the Browns, the story throughout the offseason has remained the same: the Browns see Gabriel as the better quarterback.

The only problem with this is that opinion is limited mainly to the Browns, as most of the experts and analysts believe it should be the other way around. It is not only Canty, but several others in the media who believe that it is time we see Sanders lead the Browns.

Not only is Sanders’ overall talent at the position rated higher than that of Gabriel, but the former Buffaloes’ quarterback is also physically better. Sanders stands at 6 feet 2 inches, nearly 4 inches taller than Gabriel, is stronger, and has a better arm.

In the four games Gabriel has started so far, he has 683 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and an overall passer rating of 78.4. His completion percentage is also under 60%, but the other main factor is that his lack of downfield throws is allowing defenses to focus on the run game and shut down that aspect of the Browns’ game.

It is true that Gabriel is also a rookie who will need more time to get accustomed to the NFL level of play; however, the frustration for the players and fans alike is growing each passing game. With Sanders waiting in the wings, it surely won’t hurt to see what he has to offer. Who knows, maybe that could be the change that gets the Browns clicking once again.

Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Cleveland Browns

Dillon Gabriel

NFL

Shedeur Sanders

Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!