Browns’ Kevin Stefanski Defended for Controversial Dillon Gabriel Decision
Perhaps Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel was feeling a bit philosophical on Sunday following his team’s loss, by a 27-20 count, to the Jets on the road, a loss that may well have knocked out what little wind was left in the sails of this season. Gabriel was not great in Week 10, but he wasn’t all that bad (17-for-32, 167 yards, two TDs, not interceptions) and though he took the fourth loss of his five-game stint as the starter, he wasn’t even the biggest reason the Browns lost.
Giving up two special teams touchdowns was. Still, Gabriel knows that for a team that has underperformed and is now 2-7, the possibility of change is lingering. It has to. Gabriel cited the philosophical notion that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
“When things aren’t going well, there’s always going to be change,” Gabriel said. “That’s part of it. Because if you don’t change anything it’s insanity.”
Browns’ Stefanski Makes Call on Dillon Gabriel
If that’s the case, many Browns backers will point out that coach Kevin Stefanski is insane for continuing to start Gabriel, the third-round rookie, without giving fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders
Every time Stefanski backs Gabriel, there is controversy, in Cleveland and beyond. But Stefanski, often accused of being anti-Sanders, said after Week 10’s loss that he is sticking with Gabriel in the starting QB role for Week 11, against the
And veteran Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says he’s right to do so, for two prime reasons: One, the Browns turned play-calling duties from Stefanski over to Tommy Rees in Week 10, and there was promise there; and two, there are still eight games left and Gabriel needs more than a five-week trial.
Browns Operating With New Play-Caller
Here’s what Cabot said about the way the Browns offense moved on Sunday with Rees at the helm, speaking on the “Orange and Brown Talk
“They just turned the play-calling over to Tommy Rees,” Cabot said. “And I saw some flashes of efficiency, I saw some creative formations. I saw a more up-tempo scheme. I saw some things that I really liked.
“I think that Tommy and Dillon deserve a chance to work together a little bit more. I thought that Dillon, when they moved him out of the pocket and did some different things with him, using that quarterback movement—he actually ran for 54 yards. I thought the things he did with Tommy at the helm looked pretty good. Looked promising enough to warrant a longer look.”
(Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) Head coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns
Dillon Gabriel: ‘We Didn’t Execute’
There may still come a time when the Browns turn the reins over to Sanders, it’s just not happening yet. After the game, Gabriel said the team did a number of positive things, but that a lack of execution at the right times did them in.
That’s tough to accept against an outfit like the Jets.
“I feel like at times, there’s things that went well and we sustained and executed,” Gabriel said. “And in certain moments, we didn’t execute and that starts with me. But it’s always frustrating when it’s not going the way you want it to when you put in the work and time but in crucial momentum you gotta have it and execute. And we didn’t.”
For better or worse, Gabriel will get another chance at showing he can get this team to execute.
The Mac Jones to George Kittle connection was perfect against the Rams
The San Francisco 49ers put their undefeated NFC West record on the line against a surging Los Angeles Rams team in hopes of a repeat of the Week 5 result.
But after allowing a Rams touchdown on each of the first three drives, San Francisco found themselves in a 21-0 hole that proved to be too deep to dig out of. Despite working their way back into the game, getting the score to a one-possession game twice, the Rams powered through the 49ers’ comeback attempts en route to a 42-26 victory.
There wasn’t much positive from the defense, so like last week, all three stars come from the 49ers offense:
Third star: PR Skyy Moore
It was a sluggish start for the 49ers for the first 23 or so minutes on Sunday, falling quickly behind the Rams by three scores. Even after a couple of promising offensive drives, a Jauan Jennings fumble and a turnover on downs killed any momentum the offense had.
Desperate for any big play to boost the offense, Skyy Moore was the unlikely player who helped get the 49ers’ offense going.
After allowing the Rams to score on their first three drives on Sunday, the San Francisco defense finally forced Rams punter Ethan Evans to take the field for his first of only two punts on the day. With his fair share of struggles in the punt return game (mostly bad decisions on when to return the ball versus when to let it bounce into the end zone), Moore finally had his first impact return this season.
Moore handled Evans’ 48-yard punt at the San Francisco 37-yard line. He was able to make the first rush of Rams defenders miss, earning some open space. Moore then made a nice cut to avoid a few more would-be Rams tacklers before finally getting caught from behind by Shaun Dolac.
When it was said and done, Moore’s return went for 27 yards, his longest punt return of the season. It was just what the 49ers offense needed, as seven plays later, they took advantage of the field position for their first touchdown of the game.
Second star: TE George Kittle
After three relatively quiet games from the 49ers’ tight end after returning from injury, Kittle finally had the game people have been waiting for. Unfortunately, it was used in a losing effort.
In the three games since missing five with a hamstring injury, Kittle combined for eight receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. On Sunday, Kittle finished with nine receptions on nine targets for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Kittle made the first impact play of the game for the offense following an opening drive three-and-out. After a false start pushed the 49ers’ offense back five yards, San Francisco faced a second-and-12. Mac Jones targeted Kittle for the first time, and Kittle responded with a nice diving catch to move the chains for the 49ers’ first first down of the game.
While his first catch was impressive, the play of Kittle’s game came on his ninth and final catch. With the game out of reach late in the fourth quarter, San Francisco was looking for any type of positive they could find before the game ended. Jones found Kittle open along the sideline, but there was still work to be done. Kittle was able to tight-rope and navigate the sideline about as best as he could, staying in bounds while turning his body to dive for the pylon. By the slimmest of margins, Kittle found his way into the endzone to get the 49ers on the board one final time.
There wasn’t too much positive for the 49ers on Sunday, but Kittle’s return to form was one of the lone bright spots in the loss.
First star: QB Mac Jones
In what might have been his final game as the 49ers’ starting quarterback, Jones put together what might have been his best performance of 2025.
Jones did his best to keep the 49ers in the game, completing 33-of-39 passes for 319 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Unfortunately for Jones, the offense around him didn’t help much until the Rams already had a 21-point lead.
The offense started with a three-and-out, followed by a promising drive that ended with the Jennings fumble. San Francisco finally got to the red zone on their third drive, but that drive ended with Christian McCaffrey getting stuffed on a fourth-and-1.
It took the 49ers’ fourth drive to get on the board finally. Jones would complete all five of his passes on that drive, finishing up by finding Jennings in the end zone to cut the Rams’ lead to 14 points.
San Francisco would be held scoreless on its next drive, but came out of the half looking to cut the Rams’ lead to seven, and Jones came through. Again, Jones would not throw an incomplete pass en route to a touchdown-scoring drive, going five-for-five with completions of 19, 13, and 13 yards, with Brian Robinson closing the drive with a one-yard score.
Jones’ best play of the game came on his second touchdown pass of the game. With the 49ers again looking to cut the Rams’ lead to one score, the offense found itself in the red zone once again. On a first-and-goal, Jones snapped the ball and looked to his right, but the pocket collapsed on that side, forcing Jones to move around in the pocket. He was able to get his eyes to the left side of the field, avoiding the traffic in the pocket to find a wide-open Luke Farrell for a nine-yard touchdown.
Jones would finish his day with his lone interception on an attempt to McCaffrey, before finding Kittle for his third touchdown pass of the game. The interception was the only blemish on an otherwise impressive day from Sunday’s first star.
Throughout the season, I will track the three stars of the season, tallying up points for each star award using a complex scoring system: three points for being the first star, two for the second, and one for the third. Through Week 10, the standings are:
- LB Fred Warner - 11 points
- RB Christian McCaffrey - 9 points
- QB Mac Jones - 8 points
