Despite last Sunday’s surprising victory over the Green Bay Packers, a change at quarterback is looming for the Cleveland Browns. Joe Flacco will start Week 4 against the Detroit Lions, but patience is running thin with the 18-year veteran.
The big problem is that Flacco hasn’t shown much. Perhaps his best performance came in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, but against the Baltimore Ravens and the Green Bay Packers, he failed to impress. The win over the Packers was thanks to a defensive interception and a blocked field goal, not Flacco’s play.
It wasn’t a surprise when head coach Kevin Stefanski named Flacco the starter back in August. After all, he was with the team in 2023 and led them to the playoffs with strong performances, including 13 touchdown passes over the final five games of the regular season. However, Flacco’s credit as the Browns’ starter is quickly running out.
Dillon Gabriel’s value is being questioned compared to Shedeur Sanders
When Stefanski finally decides to make a change, Dillon Gabriel is expected to take over as the Browns’ starting quarterback. Gabriel was drafted in the third round out of Oregon.
But Browns fans are eager to see Shedeur Sanders, a player once projected as a first-round pick who shockingly slid to the fifth round, where Cleveland picked him up. That decision has been heavily criticized, and to this day it raises more questions than answers.
ESPN Cleveland analyst Mike Greenberg has also expressed his confusion: “Go back and find one draft analyst who ranked Dillon Gabriel ahead of Shedeur Sanders. I am personally confounded.”
Sanders looked sharp in the preseason, particularly in the game against the Carolina Panthers where he threw two touchdown passes. He also saw action against the Los Angeles Rams, though that outing didn’t go well. For now, the former Colorado Buffaloes star remains the Browns’ third option at quarterback.
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