Two Must-See Cleveland Browns Games If Dillon Gabriel Is Starting Quarterback

The Browns schedule has been officially released, and the NFL schedule makers did the Browns no favors through their first four games. The Browns will start with back to back divisional games, opening the season at home against the Cincinatti Bengals, and travelling to take on the Baltimore Ravens in week two. Cleveland will then return home to take on the Green Bay Packers, and end their first four games with a trip to Detroit to batle the Lions. The combined 2024 records of the Browns first four opponents this year is 47-21.

If Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel earns the starting job, two games immediately come to the front of Oregon Ducks fans minds: week six at the Pittsburgh Steelers and week seven in Cleveland against the Miami Dolphins.

Week six could see Gabriel line up opposite former Ducks teammate and now Pittsburgh Steeler Derrick Harmon, who was selected by the Steelers with the 21st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The week six game against Pittsburgh could see more than just two former ducks squaring off. Steelers quarterback and former Ohio State Buckeye Will Howard was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, meaning we could get part three of the Dillon Gabriel vs. Will Howard trilogy should both rookie quarterbacks win the starting job for their respective teams.

Gabriel and Howard are 1-1 against each other, with Gabriel defeating Howard in Autzen Stadium last fall when the Buckeyes traveled to Eugene. In what was maybe the most memorable game of the college football regular season last year, the game clock hit zero's as Will Howard slid too late for the Buckeyes to call a timeout. Howard went on to get his revenge on New Years Day in Pasadena, as the Buckeyes defeated the Ducks 41-21 in the Rose Bowl Game.

The week seven matchup for the Cleveland Browns against the Miami Dolphins is going to be fascinating if Gabriel is the starting quarterback. Gabriel and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa have been compared to each other over the last four months, with good reason. Both Tagovailoa and Gabriel are undersized left handed throwers, who thrive on improvisation.

The Dolphins were thought to be interested in Gabriel, with many mock drafts in the days leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft having Miami taking Gabriel in the fourth round. This week seven matchup could be the week that Gabriel finally has his feet under him after a few starts in the NFL and has the potential to be an explosive game from both quarterbacks.