Cleveland Browns @ Philadelphia Eagles
Final Score: Browns 22, Eagles 13
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter/X, Reddit)
Both teams elected to sit their starters for this one. Dillon Gabriel was given the start for Cleveland, and he brought his A-game before handing the reins off to Tyler Huntley for the second half. The Browns’ offense had the Eagles on the ropes early, but a few miscommunications led to a pick-6 and fumble recovery both by the Eagles’ rookie safety Andrew Makuba. Philly’s offense was stagnant all day. Dorian Thompson-Robinson was given the first two drives before alternating with Kyle McCord the remainder of the game. This score likely wouldn’t be as close as it was if Gabriel played the full game, but at least Tyler Huntley didn’t turn the ball over in the second half outside of failing to convert on a 4th down. Cleveland racked up 63 plays for 331 yards, while Philly had only 44 plays for 88 yards.
Three Up
- Dillon Gabriel – His pocket awareness was solid, his throws were accurate, and he was decisive with the ball in his hands. No doubt, Gabriel playing well is the featured headline.
- Pierre Strong Jr. – Strong was the featured back for most of the game and put a lot of good reps on film. He should have a roster spot locked up and may end up carving out some field time during the regular season.
- Kyle McCord – While nothing specific wow-ed me, he was the better option today and is looking like the QB3 behind Tanner McKee.
Two Down
- Diontae Johnson – Maybe I just want to dunk on this man, but it’s not a great sign when he’s played in a game with starters resting and hardly had any opportunities come his way. Strong showings from Gage Larvadain and Jabari Thrash also don’t help his situation.
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson – It was a messy day that likely lost him some footing in the QB3 contest.
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback
Dillon Gabriel: 13/18, 143 Yards, 1 INT | 2 Carries, 1 Yard, 1 FUM
I want to nip this in the bud – the interception was not his fault. There were two receivers in the same spot, and Whitehead reeled his hands back, thinking the ball was meant for Johnson. Makuba accelerated between the two for the INT with a full head of steam heading the other direction. The fumble is Gabriel’s to own because he didn’t get enough width after the snap, resulting in a desperate reach to hand the ball off to Strong. It was an impressive day outside of that. He stepped up into the pocket as needed, made some impressive throws to the perimeter of the field, and fed the ball into tight windows. He probably could have gotten more out of his scramble, but elected for the safe preseason slide to avoid any contact.
Tyler Huntley: 10/13, 71 Yards | 3 Carries, 5 Yards
Not much was asked for Huntley as most of his pass attempts were screens, hitches, and a slant or two. This QB room (while not the strongest) is deep, and it isn’t a good sign when the play calls seemed to be mitigating the demand on him.
Running Back
Pierre Strong Jr.: 13 Carries, 89 Yards | 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 10 Yards
Strong is a familiar name in this backfield and reinstated his case for continuing to be so. He took the hard-earned yards when needed, was a reliable check-down option, and even broke off a 52-yard run. It appears as though Quinshon Judkins will sign his rookie contract soon, but Strong will likely still find some field time as a rotational back.
Ahmani Marshall: 6 Carries, 25 Yards, 1 TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards
After Pierre Strong started the first drive, Marshall came in to finish off the possession with a few carries, including a nice cutback for a 4-yard TD. He later showed good vision and broke off a 14-yarder. It was a respectable showing that keeps him in contention for the 53-man roster.
Toa Taua: 2 Carries, 7 Yards
Trayveon Williams: 1 Carry, 0 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Gage Larvadain: 7 Targets, 3 Receptions, 43 Yards | 1 Carry, 16 Yards
The Browns called his number early by giving him an end-around that he took for 16 yards in their first possession. The second drive started with a screen to him, where he made some nice moves to get past three defenders. While he only had 3 receptions, a few targets were batted by Eagles’ linemen or were poor throws from the QB. Larvadain was also put back to return punts due to his speed and elusiveness in open space.
Kaden Davis: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 44 Yards | 1 Carry, -11 Yards
Davis was the kick returner and split punt returns with Larvadain, but he was also impressive during his few opportunities at WR. One of his catches was a simple 6-yard hitch, but he made defenders miss on both of his other two receptions to gain meaningful yards after the catch. An end-around was blown up in the backfield, but it’s a positive that they wanted to give him that opportunity.
Jamari Thrash: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 43 Yards
Thrash only played the first half, but his route running was crisp, and there appeared to have been some good chemistry with Gabriel. Other than a screen pass his way, he created good separation on all of his targeted routes.
Cedric Tillman: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 18 Yards
His lone target came on the second drive. It was a flag route following play-action from Gabriel. I’m not putting too much stake in his lack of involvement in this one, but it could be concerning that Larvadain and Thrash showed some explosiveness during their opportunities.
Sal Cannella: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 15 Yards
Branden Bates: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 13 Yards
Blake Whiteheart: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
Diontae Johnson: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Kyle McCord: 8/16, 47 Yards, 1 TD | 1 Carry, 2 Yards
McCord isn’t the most mobile QB, and it showed at times. His pocket presence and confidence to step up when it’s collapsing are areas to improve upon, but he was a generally capable thrower of the ball. Some of the incompletions were throwaways and miscommunications with the receivers, though he did have some misfires mixed in. He’ll get a metaphorical sticker on the helmet for a 10-yard TD strike to Ainias Smith, but it doesn’t seem like he’ll be challenging Tanner McKee for the QB2 role quite yet.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson: 5/8, 17 Yards, 1 INT
DTR was at the helm for the first two drives of the game for some much-needed live-game reps. He often held onto the ball too long or failed to sense pressure, and made a bad play worse when he bobbled a snap and tried to get rid of the ball while getting tackled, resulting in a pick-six. He has the physical ability to be a better runner, yet he didn’t use that skill set at all.
Running Back
Montrell Johnson Jr.: 6 Carries, 20 Yards
While also employed as a kick returner, Johnson took over the backfield for Philly’s 2nd through 4th drives after AJ Dillon was given the start. There was nothing special about Johnson’s time on the field, with his longest run of the day being a 6-yard carry up straight the gut. Behind Saquon Barkley, Will Shipley, and probably AJ Dillon as well, Johnson will continue to compete for a roster spot next week.
Keilan Robinson: 6 Carries, 9 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Robinson split reps with ShunDerrick Powell throughout most of the second half. He made some good cuts and his decision-making was good, but he didn’t show anything special. He was met immediately at the line of scrimmage on most of his opportunities. There was a blatant drop on a dump-off pass from McCord.
AJ Dillon: 3 Carries, 7 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, -16 Yards
AJ Dillon’s day was limited to only the first drive. He was given a couple of standard carries and made a silly decision to catch a pass that was deflected upward and 15 yards deep into the backfield. I personally don’t think it will be held against him, but it was the last play he had on the field… so make of that what you will.
ShunDerrick Powell: 3 Carries, -5 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
After doing a respectable job on his first couple of carries, Powell bounced backward 8 yards off a would-be tackler to make his stat line look less than favorable.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Ainias Smith: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 19 Yards, 1 TD
Smith’s strong preseason continued with another TD in this one. He made good separation on his other catch and then had a few punt return opportunities. It’s starting to look more likely that Smith will see some real action in the regular season rotationally with Jahan Dotson.
Taylor Morin: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 16 Yards
All of Morin’s action came on Philly’s last drive of the game as McCord peppered him on three straight plays: two slants and a hitch. He created decent separation on those routes and brought all 3 in. His only incompletion was a pass broken up by the defender (that could debateably have been a pass interference).
Terrace Marshall Jr.: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards
The first target of the day was a little off the mark from McCord, but Marshall did a good job reeling it in. Both of his receptions were on zone spacing hitches, while his other two targets went incomplete due to a pass breakup and a poor throw. Philly’s offense was very rudimentary in this one, as was Marshall’s route concepts.
E.J. Jenkins: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 12 Yards
Nick Muse: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
Giles Jackson: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 1 Yard
Kyle Granson: 2 Targets, 0 Receptions, 0 Yards
Cameron Latu: 1 Target, 0 Receptions, 0 Yards
Darius Cooper: 1 Target, 0 Receptions, 0 Yards