The Cleveland Browns wrapped up a 1-2 preseason with a surprisingly one-sided 37-13 win over the New England Patriots on Thursday night. In a game where 99 percent of starters or players with projected rotational roles didn't suit up, Todd Monken's team looked the part.
Of course, fans should take this game with a grain of salt, especially when it comes to the positives. Those who failed to make the most of their opportunity may not have another chance to endear themselves to the coaching staff.
For better or worse, six players stood out from the rest of the pack in the final dress rehearsal before the first challenge of the season.
Let's talk winners and losers from Cleveland's preseason finale.
Dillon Gabriel, Luke Floriea and Austin Barber strengthened their roster cases, while others may have missed their final opportunity
Winner: Dillon Gabriel
"Dealin'" Gabriel looked like prime Tom Brady out there. He was calm and poised in the pocket, and completed 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three scores. That won't affect the quarterback competition, but it may have been a nice audition for teams around the league.
Gabriel is who he is. He pushed the ball more in this game, but it was a non-competitive contest against roster-bubble guys. He did a great job, though, and deserves his flowers for how he's dealt with this whole situation.
Loser: Taylen Green
Some may argue that Taylen Green was the most exciting player of the night, and they might be right to a degree. He had some electric scrambles, including a 30-yard scramble on a play that looked destined to end in a safety.
That said, Green wasted his opportunity to show that he can be more than an athlete. NFL quarterbacks need to be efficient passers to stick around, and Green completed just 5 of 7 passes for 27 yards against the softest defense he'll ever face.
Winner: Luke Floriea
Floriea has been one of the best stories of the Browns' training camp for the second consecutive year. Unlike last offseason, he's fully healthy, and he may have locked up a roster spot with his strong performance in this one.
He caught three touchdowns in as many preseason games. He's made every quarterback look good and deserves to be on the team come Monday morning.
Loser: Gage Larvadain
Like Floriea, Larvadain has also made big plays all through camp and the preseason, regardless of who's under center. But in such a tight race, the tiniest mistake can be the difference between making the roster and hitting the waiver wire.
Larvadain had the worst play of the night for the Browns, running backward on a punt return that lost nine yards and nearly resulted in a safety. He did have five catches for 48 yards but, again, this was the worst time to make a mistake, and the punt return game is his path to making the team.
Winner: Austin Barber
Barber remains a work in progress at tackle, but he already looks like an NFL guard. He was moving guys with ease in the first half, climbing and making plays on the open field to open up running lanes.
Barber already seemed locked in as the team's swing tackle for the future, but he's looked much better as the starting right guard with the second unit over the past couple of weeks.
Loser: D'Angelo Ross
The Browns are unsettled at cornerback, and Ross showed why in this one. He got burned again for a big play, leaving Kyle Williams wide open for an easy score on a 45-yard pass from Tommy DeVito.
Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell are obviously the top dogs here, but with Michael Coats Jr. looking like a steal and Mekhi Blackmon arriving late in training camp via the waiver wire, those miscues might've been the end of the line for Ross.
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