Dillon Gabriel can't ignite the Browns' NFL-worst offense in his 2nd career start

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Making his second start, Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel got harassed by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Gabriel passed for 221 yards but couldn’t lead the league’s second-lowest scoring offense to the end zone during a 23-9 loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday.

“He's a tough kid,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “We have to keep him clean. Obviously, when the game turns into what it was, you have to drop back and that’s a tough team to drop back against. But he kept battling.”

Pittsburgh finished with six sacks and hit Gabriel 16 more times. The Browns (1-5) failed to score 17 points in their 11th straight game dating to last season as they lost their 22nd consecutive regular-season game at Pittsburgh.

“We have to get it fixed,” Stefanski said. “Before you start winning, you have to stop losing and we’re definitely doing some things that are preventing us from winning.”

A third-round pick, Gabriel made his debut start last week against Minnesota in London. He became the fourth Browns rookie to throw for multiple scores in his first start, tossing two TD passes in a respectable 21-17 loss.

Against Pittsburgh, one of the league’s most experienced defenses, Gabriel didn’t commit a turnover, but he was forced to throw 52 times. The Browns converted just six third downs and their longest play was a 24-yard completion to Harold Fannin Jr. while they were scrambling to score in the final two minutes.

“At a certain point in the game, we were trying to catch up and be more aggressive, so we were kind of different (as an offense) in that end,” Gabriel said. “But early on, we tried to get it going and take our chances when we could.”

Cleveland traded quarterback Joe Flacco to Cincinnati this week. The 18-year veteran started Cleveland’s first four games before he was benched in favor of Gabriel.

High-profile fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders backed up Gabriel on Sunday, meaning the Browns faced the Steelers with two rookie quarterbacks. Pittsburgh improved to 52-15 against first-year QBs since 1970, including 28-4 at home.

Sanders had been Cleveland’s emergency quarterback — and inactive on game days — for his first five games. Stefanski said he never considered pulling Gabriel for Sanders on Sunday.

“It wasn’t a lack of effort by (Gabriel) or anybody,” Stefanski said. “He made some plays. We just have to be better.”

The Browns had just 34 yards of offense before a half-ending 16-play, 72-yard drive that finished with Andre Szmyt’s 31-yard field goal. On that drive, the Browns picked up seven first downs, including a pair of third-down conversions.

Gabriel answered a Pittsburgh touchdown drive in the third quarter with another field goal. He was victimized by a pair of drops, including a one on third down in the red zone, and Nick Herbig nearly picked off a pass in the flat. Szmyt converted from 53 yards to pull the Browns within 16-6.

Gabriel took the Browns on a 18-play, 54-yard drive after another Steelers touchdown, resulting in another field goal.

The Browns had first-and-goal from the 5, and on second down, Gabriel's pass hit Isaiah Bond in the helmet when he wasn’t looking for the ball. Following a pass-interference penalty, the Browns had first-and-goal from the 3, but a sack by Herbig stalled the series. Earlier in the drive, Gabriel missed an open Jerry Jeudy on a potential touchdown, throwing it out of bounds and just out of reach.

“Nobody in the building likes this feeling,” Gabriel said. “The good part is that there’s a lot to learn and grow from. I think we’ll have a lot of things to look at and address.”

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