Shedeur Sanders made his mark in one of the most discussed preseason games in recent history. After his surprising draft day slide, Sanders showed out against the Panthers with two touchdown passes and a 106.8 passer rating. Unfortunately, Sanders suffered a minor oblique injury in one of the joint practices against the Eagles, and Kenny Pickett wasn't ready to return to full game action.
With Joe Flacco also sitting until the dress rehearsal against the Rams next week, Dillon Gabriel got his first chance with an extended look after missing the last preseason game. The rookie looked solid, like Sanders did, leading three scoring drives. He did have some poor throws and rookie mistakes that led to two turnovers, but it was still a very solid showing for his first NFL action.
Dillon Gabriel turns in solid preseason debut against Eagles
Gabriel followed in Sanders' footsteps with a solid preseason debut, completing 13 of 18 passes for 143 yards, but with an interception. He posted a 72.2 passer rating, but completed all four passes on his opening drive, which ended in an Amani Marshall rushing touchdown. The rookie also led two field goal drives, along with a drive where the team was marching before a pick-six.
The Oregon alum showed very astute pocket presence, along with strong accuracy and a bit better arm than most give him credit for. There were a few instances of broken pass protections and slightly questionable throw decisions, but that's par for the course for a rookie quarterback getting his first professional game action. The pick-six was ultimately a ball that probably needed to be thrown away, but the route spacing was off, and it resulted in an overall broken play.
While there's little either rookie could do at this point to overthrow Flacco for Week 1, their performances could go a long way in determining how the rest of the room shakes out. If the coaching staff feels content going with either of the rookies as Flacco's direct backup, it would make sense to move on from Pickett, considering he's only under contract for the 2025 season.
The Browns head back to Cleveland for a dress-rehearsal week before their preseason finale against the Rams, where some or most starters are expected to get playing time. They'll look to finish their impressive preseason run with another win after their strong 22-13 win over Philadelphia.