Browns Roll Patriots 37-13 as Dillon Gabriel Throws Three Touchdowns

Cleveland beat New England 37-13 in the preseason finale, and the story was Dillon Gabriel, who took the extended run at quarterback and made the most of it. Gabriel went 12 of 15 for 186 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, a 157.9 passer rating, and the Browns led 27-10 by halftime. In a summer full of backup quarterback questions, this was one of the cleaner answers anyone provided all preseason.

Dillon Gabriel's three-touchdown afternoon

Dillon Gabriel

Gabriel spread the ball around efficiently, throwing scoring passes of 6 and 14 yards to Luke Floriea and a 7-yarder to Ahmani Marshall. The 12-of-15 line for 186 yards is a 12.4-yard average per attempt, the kind of downfield efficiency that stands out even against a backup defense. After a preseason in which Cleveland's quarterback picture stayed muddy week to week, Gabriel's finale was the strongest single outing the room produced.

Floriea was the biggest beneficiary, turning three catches into 29 yards and both of his red-zone touchdowns. Ben Patterson provided the explosive play of the day for Cleveland, a 52-yard reception on his way to 71 yards on two catches. Behind Gabriel, dual-threat passer Taylen Green added 66 rushing yards on eight carries, and Davon Booth capped the scoring with an 8-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.

New England's quarterbacks could not keep up

Behren Morton Tommy DeVito

The contrast at quarterback was stark. Behren Morton took the bulk of the snaps and struggled, going 18 of 28 for just 123 yards with two interceptions and a 44.2 rating. Tommy DeVito was more efficient in a shorter stint, 2 of 4 for 55 yards and a touchdown, with the score coming on a 45-yard strike to Kyle Williams. The Patriots' passing game never found rhythm otherwise, and the two Morton interceptions were the difference between a competitive game and a blowout.

Kyle Dixon

The one New England pass catcher who saw real volume was Kyle Dixon, who was targeted eight times and caught all eight for 71 yards. On the ground, Hassan Haskins led the Patriots with 11 carries for 38 yards. None of it was enough to make this close.

Why Gabriel's finale is the one to file away

Backup quarterback reps in a preseason blowout do not usually move fantasy needles, but the context here is what gives Dillon Gabriel's afternoon weight. Cleveland spent the entire summer cycling through options behind center, and a 12-of-15, three-touchdown line in the final tune-up is the cleanest single piece of evidence any of those options produced. That does not lock him into a Week 1 role by itself, yet it is exactly the kind of showing that tilts a close coaching decision. For fantasy managers, the practical read is on the pass catchers who benefit if Gabriel wins the job: Luke Floriea turned three targets into two scores, and a quarterback who trusts a specific receiver in the red zone is how deep-league touchdown value gets born.

The other side of this game is a cautionary one. Behren Morton's two interceptions are the sort of line that quietly ends a roster push, and New England leaning on Kyle Dixon for eight targets says more about camp-body volume than any Week 1 pass-game hierarchy. If you are streaming a defense in Week 1, a Patriots offense still sorting out its backup quarterback picture is the kind of matchup worth remembering. None of these players is a draft-day priority, but the Browns quarterback battle is a real storyline that could shape target shares once the season starts.

What to do with this

The takeaway that could actually matter beyond September is Dillon Gabriel's finale, which is exactly the kind of preseason showing that shapes a Week 1 depth chart. Kyle Williams flashing big-play speed and Kyle Dixon's target volume are worth a note for deeper leagues. See how Cleveland's quarterback room is priced in the best ball tool, check the rookie rankings for the young pass catchers, and run any murky depth charts through the mock draft simulator. Full box score: ESPN.

This is part of our Preseason Week 3 roundup, where the storylines that matter across every game are pulled together.