Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel had spent much of the preseason working with limited opportunities, so getting the start against the New England Patriots gave him a chance to finally put on a show. He did exactly that, throwing three touchdown passes in the first half of Cleveland’s 37-13 preseason victory Thursday night at Huntington Bank Field.

After the game, Gabriel was asked about a similar situation he and Taylen Green had experienced during camp, with both young quarterbacks having to make the most of limited reps. His answer was as direct.

“We joked with each other, f**k around and find out,” Gabriel said, per 92.3 The Fan’s Spencer German.

Gabriel has had a tough time in the NFL so far. Drafted ahead of Shedeur Sanders, he failed to meet expectations after he took over as starting quarterback from Joe Flacco. Gabriel lost the job to Sanders after going 1-5 last year. This offseason, Gabriel was even linked to trade talks, as Sanders and Deshaun Watson were the main competitors for the starting role. Taylen Green’s addition this year complicated things for him even more.

After Watson and Sanders each made their starts in the preseason, Gabriel was given the opportunity to do so against the New England Patriots on Thursday. Browns head coach Todd Monken had explained that the decision was made partly because the team wanted to see more of both young quarterbacks after their earlier opportunities had been limited.

Gabriel had already talked about the limited reps he was getting in camp. The 2025 third-round pick said his workload could be different every day, so he learned to focus on the snaps he did get instead of worrying about the ones he missed.

“I’ll say frustrating is the word,” he said. It’s interesting, you know, as somebody who just comes to work every day and tries to put one foot in front of the other, maximize what you get. That’s all I’ve tried to do.”

Gabriel went on to explain that some practices gave him only three reps while others gave him eight. By the end of a week, he could have around 20 or 25 plays. He got some reps in the previous two preseason games, but they weren’t as impressive.

He was 5 of 8 for 23 yards with an interception in the loss to Chicago. Against Buffalo, Gabriel got to attempt just one pass. Despite the lack of reps, Gabriel made them count in his performance vs the Patriots.

He led Cleveland on an opening touchdown drive and continued finding the end zone throughout the first half. Two of his touchdown passes went to wide receiver Luke Floriea, while running back Ahmani Marshall caught the other. The Browns took a 27-13 lead into halftime. Gabriel finished his half with 12-of-15 completed passes for 186 yards and three scores, steering clear of interceptions and sacks.

Shedeur Sanders might have reasons to worry about that QB2 spot now. The numbers easily show that Gabriel had the best showing in the Cleveland quarterback room. Todd Monken said the game will help in deciding between Gabriel and Green for that last quarterback spot.

“That’s why we played them, to try and help us a little bit in terms of where we’re at from a roster standpoint,” he said after the game, per Mary Kay Cabot. “So we got a lot to talk about, because I thought they both did some really good things. … But just like every position, we’re gonna have to cut it down, it’s just we can’t keep everybody.”

Gabriel could not control how many reps came his way during camp. Once he finally got the chance, however, he made sure the Browns had plenty to think about. Watson’s tendency to get injured and Sanders’ underwhelming play might even give Dillon Gabriel a wild chance to win the QB1 job sometime in the season.

Cleveland’s QB1 drama is far from over.