Cleveland is embracing the inevitable in Week 5 by making the move from Joe Flacco to rookie Dillon Gabriel for his first NFL start. While it was clear Flacco wasn't fit to start anymore, some were skeptical about making a change now since Week 5 is being played in London, and Minnesota's defense is very complex/multiple.
Those concerns are understandable, and it probably isn't the "perfect" time to start the rookie. However, circumstances are never going to be perfect in the NFL, and the rest of the AFC is off to a rocky start. Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski did reveal one hidden benefit of starting Gabriel this week as a result of the extensive trip to Europe.
Browns trip to London has allowed coaches to spend more time with Dillon Gabriel before his debut
On Friday, Stefanski talked about the extra time the coaching staff has been able to spend with Gabriel in the lead-up to this game. Practice and meeting time isn't really increased in these team trips, so there is a lot of downtime where everyone is in the same general area. Stefanski and other coaches are using this time to get extra preparation with Gabriel before he makes his first start.
"He’s handled it as you would expect... He’s been on top of everything, preparing. He’s diligent about his preparation, so spending a lot of time with him. As you know, when you’re on these trips, you get to spend a lot of time together. You know, any given moment, you can go grab some time to go sit and watch some film. So, he’s taken advantage of that."Kevin Stefanski on Dillon Gabriel
It's undeniable that the offensive line, specifically the tackles, have not been up to standard with the injuries to Jack Conklin and Dawand Jones. Still, Flacco seemed to be predetermining throws at times and moving to the checkdown quicker than he needed to because of a lack of trust in pass protection.
The difference between 1-4 and 2-3 feels gigantic in this AFC landscape, and a win overseas would put them in a good spot, trending up with a tremendous defense. It feels like their best chance to do that is behind the third-round rookie pick under center.