Browns QB Dillon Gabriel bizarrely compares brutal NFL tackles to being beaten by his mom as a kid
Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel provided a bizarre comparison on Wednesday when he was asked about being roughed up last weekend by the Steelers.
The rookie passer was sacked a whopping six times as Pittsburgh won 23-9 at home.
And while those hits may have left a mark on the 24-year-old, he joked that it was nothing compared to what he used to experience at the hands of his mom.
“My mom used to beat my a** when I was a kid so I don’t think anything will live up to what my mom [did],’ he told reporters.
‘No, I was just playing around, but I’m good. It’s part of football, that’s why you play it,’ he continued. ‘We’re good.’
While Gabriel is seemingly healthy after the Pittsburgh game, he produced a subpar performance for Cleveland as he completed 29 of 52 attempts for 221 yards – an average of just 4.3 yards per attempt.
Dillon Gabriel bizarrely compared getting tackled by the Steelers to being hit by his mom
Gabriel is seen with his mom, Dori, in 2019. He was a Central Florida player at the time
Gabriel, who was named Cleveland’s starter ahead of their Week 5 matchup against the Vikings, fared better against Minnesota in his first start.
In that contest, which Cleveland lost 21-17 in London, Gabriel threw for two touchdowns and averaged a healthier 5.8 yards per attempt.
Cleveland’s quarterback room has already seen several changes this season, as Joe Flacco was benched for Gabriel after throwing two touchdowns and six interceptions in four starts.
Flacco was then traded to division rivals Cincinnati, who are without Joe Burrow (and may be for the rest of the season) due to his turf toe injury.
The Flacco trade also led to a promotion for Shedeur Sanders, who rose from third-string to backup for last week’s game.
Gabriel took six sacks against the Steelers as Cleveland lost 23-9 to their rivals
Shedeur Sanders continues to be on the sidelines for the Browns, though he was elevated to backup after Joe Flacco was traded
Plenty of fans expressed their desire for Cleveland – now 1-5 – to turn to Sanders following their Week 6 loss.
However, head coach Kevin Stefanski revealed after the game that he never considered turning to Sanders on the day.
Gabriel and Sanders were part of an extremely crowded quarterback room over the summer after being drafted in the third and fifth-round respectively, as Kenny Pickett and Tyler Huntley were also rostered.
Deshaun Watson is also still with the Browns, though he is currently unable to play as he continues recovering from an Achilles injury.
Gabriel will remain the starter for at least one more week, and will look to lead his first win against the Dolphins this weekend.
