The Cleveland Browns will play bitter rivals Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6 with Dillon Gabriel under center. Winning the starting job over Shedeur Sanders, it seems like this game will bring too many problems for the rookie quarterback.
There are four specific pieces of data that play against Gabriel here. The first one, Cleveland is 0-21 in its last 21 regular season games in Pittsburgh. The second one, the Browns are returning from a London game without any rest.
Third but not least, the Steelers are off a Bye Week, and Mike Tomlin is 14-4 after a bye with eight wins in a row. Fourth and equally as important, Tomlin has a 27-6 record against rookie quarterbacks, and is 14-1 at home against them. Gabriel should be in a world of trouble.
Shedeur Sanders is QB2 for now
After the Joe Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, Shedeur Sanders was promoted to QB2. In all fairness, Sanders is waiting for his chance but it could be better for him to not debut in this game. In fact, this could be a blessing in disguise for him.
Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns.
If Gabriel struggles heavily, this could serve as fuel for Sanders. Any time Gabriel’s stock suffers, Sanders’ grows exponentially. This is actually a great scenario for Sanders if looked at with critical eye.
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The Browns are still battling against all odds
The Browns are now on their second QB with Sanders waiting on the sidelines. Their defense is very good at home, not very good away from Cleveland, but all in all, they are trying to compete despite their 1-4 record.
Winning at Pittsburgh is as tough as it gets for them, but what better scenario to turn a season around than getting an unlikely win against a bitter rival? It will all fall in Dillon Gabriel’s hands.
