The Cleveland Browns have let another one slip through their fingers. After their Week 8, 32-13 loss to the New England Patriots, the question around rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel grew louder. Is he going to keep leading the team? Or will the team finally give fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders a chance in the coming weeks?

When asked about it post-game, head coach Kevin Stefanski made it clear that the Browns are going to stick with Dillon Gabriel as their starter when they come back in Week 10 after their bye week. Coach Stefanski also added there’s still a lot of work to be done across the board, and even more so with the quarterback room.

“I just want to make the point that we just have to be better in every area. And we’ll look at everything we do, including how we’re putting these guys in position to succeed. Are we doing enough? When I say looking at every position, are we doing enough with the quarterback position? Do we need to do a better job? And I think I know the answer is yes.”

Gabriel’s Week 8 outing was mostly a mixed bag. On hand, he went 21-of-35 for 156 yards and two touchdowns. But he also threw two picks and got sacked once for the loss of 11 yards. Overall, he ended the game with a passer rating of 65.9, a sharp dip from Week 7’s 89.1 rating. Still, with Gabriel finally putting numbers on the scoreboard after a two-week touchdown drought, Kevin Stefanski & Co. seem confident he still has more to offer with some improvements.

But what about Shedeur Sanders? Browns owner Jimmy Haslam’s recent comments on the Browns’ rookie quarterbacks now hang in the air heavier than ever.

Jimmy Haslam’s views of Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel

Outside the Browns building, the Dawg Pound is growing increasingly restless. With the Week 8 loss, they are now 2-6 heading into their bye week. Many believed Shedeur Sanders would start under center midway through the season. But with Dillon Gabriel taking the helm on Week 10, that hope seems to be slipping away as well. Owner Jimmy Haslam, additionally, has shared a vote of confidence, but that’s for both the rookie quarterbacks.

Speaking about Shedeur before the Week 8 matchup, Haslam had noted, “Listen, he’s a serious football player, and inside the building, there’s no noise. He comes to work every day just like everybody else, and he’s trying to get better as a football player.”

Haslam had also added his thoughts about Gabriel. “Dillon has played three games, and that’s not a great sample [size]. And one of them was in a monsoon. You could say he played two games. Shedeur’s making progress in practice. So we’re going to continue to work with both of those guys.”

But Dillon Gabriel’s sample size, along with the Dawg Pound’s disappointment, is growing bigger every week. Shedeur Sanders, on the other hand, had been marked as inactive for the Week 8 match with yet another injury. Practice squad quarterback Bailee Zappe had taken his place as the QB2. Will this uphill climb continue for Sanders? Or Kevin Stefanski finally give him a start somewhere beyond Week 10? For now, there’s no answer to these questions.