Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green push Cleveland’s 3rd-quarterback case in Browns’ 37-13 preseason win over Patriots

In the Browns’ and Patriots’ final preseason outing, Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green both used their extended quarterback looks to strengthen their cases for Cleveland’s third quarterback spot. Gabriel opened the game for Cleveland, played the first half, and finished with three touchdown passes, including two that went to Luke Floriea, in a 37-13 victory on Thursday night.

Green, who saw the second half, responded with a long drive that traveled 98 yards for a touchdown, giving Cleveland another quarterback sequence worth evaluating late in the game. For teams this late in the preseason, those drives do not just decide who plays next, they also help coaches gauge how a quarterback handles timing, protection adjustments, and play-calling rhythm when the roster starts to skew heavily toward the fringe groups.

Gabriel’s performance made the quarterback battle harder to simplify. With three touchdown throws and two of them finding Floriea, the Browns displayed a clear ability to generate scoring opportunities through the passing game during his stint. It also offered a concrete reference point for how Cleveland’s second and third-option targets might look when the focus shifts from starters to competition-level depth.

Floriea’s involvement, with two touchdown receptions in the first half, mattered beyond the stat line because it tied into the kind of evaluation teams want in the preseason. Quarterbacks in the middle and later stages of camp are often judged on placement and decision-making rather than pure volume, and connecting repeatedly with a specific target provides a cleaner read on chemistry under game conditions.

For New England, the game was another chance for the Patriots’ own roster decisions to take shape under game-speed scrutiny. The Patriots surrendered multiple touchdown passes to Cleveland in a short window and also gave up the 98-yard score led by Green, both of which can influence how quickly New England’s coaches feel comfortable with their depth behind their primary plans.

Cleveland’s approach, as reflected by the way it split its quarterback work across halves, suggests the team is keeping the competition visible rather than trying to settle it with one single extended drive. In this phase, the “third quarterback spot” is often a practical role that has to balance readiness, preparation, and the ability to operate the offense quickly if called upon due to game-state needs.

What to watch next is how the Browns separate the remaining contenders after the final preseason evaluation. A strong first-half showing can matter, but so can how consistently a quarterback handles his second-half responsibilities, particularly when the opponent’s look and the roster composition both change. Gabriel and Green have each produced clips coaches can point to, and the final decision will likely hinge on the full body of work, not only Thursday night.