Shedeur Sanders on Notice After Browns Backup QBs Shred Patriots Following Bold Exchange

Shedeur Sanders on Notice After Browns Backup QBs Shred Patriots Following Bold Exchange

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Shedeur Sanders on Notice After Browns Backup QBs Shred Patriots Following Bold Exchange

Deshaun Watson holds the Cleveland Browns’ starting job heading into Week 1, with Shedeur Sanders locked in behind him as the No. 2. As both sat out the preseason finale, forgotten options Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green got the chance to play against the New England Patriots.

And they made the best use of the opportunity to torch New England on Thursday night. Their solid display puts real pressure on Coach Prime’s son.

Shedeur Sanders under pressure after forgotten backups’ dominant performance

Gabriel played the entire first half and put up great numbers. He went 12-of-15 for 186 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. He connected with Luke Floriea for two scores, starting with a 6-yard touchdown pass early on, and also completed big gains of 52 and 29 yards.

Green took over for the second half and led a long, 98-yard touchdown drive. He leaned heavily on his elite running ability, which matches his 4.36-second 40-yard dash from the combine. Backed by their strong performances, the Browns secured a convincing 37-13 victory.

Cleveland Browns, Dillon Gabriel
Dillon Gabriel ready to start a play at the Browns OTA camp in Berea on May 20, 2026.

Before kickoff, the two quarterbacks shared a quick NFSW moment on the sideline. “We were laughing, just telling each other, ‘f around and find out,'” Gabriel said, according to Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. That is exactly how they played.

Gabriel started six games for Cleveland last season, throwing seven touchdowns against two picks. Green, a sixth-round pick out of Arkansas this spring, entered as a developmental project. Neither was supposed to be part of the season’s opening storyline. But now they are the story. And that is what makes Sanders’ seat a bit shaky after Thursday.

Sanders remains Watson’s primary backup for now. However, a third-string quarterback throwing three touchdowns and a rookie sixth-rounder leading a 98-yard scoring drive give league personnel departments impressive game tape to look at. Their performances show exactly how tight the competition behind Sanders really is.

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