Jerry Jeudy isn’t blaming the quarterback carousel for his slow start, even if the numbers tell a frustrating story. Through six weeks, the Cleveland Browns’ Pro Bowl wideout leads the league in drops with eight and still hasn’t scored a touchdown. The chemistry issues are obvious, but Jeudy insists it’s not about who’s throwing the ball.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s difficult at all,” Jeudy said this week. “The football is still the same size. It might spin a little different, but you still got to catch it the same way. We just got to focus on the ball, catch it first, then make a play.”
The Browns opened the season with veteran Joe Flacco, only to pivot to rookie Dillon Gabriel in Week 5 after another sluggish offensive outing. Jeudy has now caught passes from six different quarterbacks in 22 games – a stat that says as much about Cleveland’s instability as it does about his frustration.
Cleveland ranks near the bottom of the league in scoring, averaging under 14 points per game. Jeudy says it’s less about panic and more about cleaning up mistakes. “We just got to play better overall as a unit and execute,” he said. “Everybody do their job.”
Rookie Takes the Heat and the Hope
Dillon Gabriel isn’t ducking accountability. The former Oklahoma standout has targeted Jeudy 18 times in his two starts, connecting on just half. Still, Gabriel is staying confident in his top receiver.
I think Jerry’s hardest on himself. We believe in him – and I know we’re going to figure it out. It starts with me and building that connection
Gabriel’s early learning curve has been steep – six sacks and two turnovers in last week’s loss to Pittsburgh – but head coach Kevin Stefanski isn’t wavering. “He’s learning like all young players,” Stefanski told Sports Illustrated. “We’ll keep pushing.”
The Browns, now 1-5, face the Miami Dolphins next, their first game as favorites this season.
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