The Cleveland Browns may have wanted clarity from their preseason finale, but Dillon Gabriel’s outstanding performance has only made their quarterback situation more intriguing.

Gabriel threw three first-half touchdowns as the Browns cruised past the New England Patriots 37-13 on Thursday night. The performance came at a crucial moment, with Cleveland approaching the NFL’s roster deadline and still carrying four quarterbacks.

While Gabriel made a strong case for himself, head coach Todd Monken remained tight-lipped about whether the Browns will keep all four quarterbacks on the final 53-man roster.

Dillon Gabriel makes his opportunity count

With expected starter Deshaun Watson and backup Shedeur Sanders rested for the finale, Gabriel was handed the starting job.

The 2025 third-round pick responded with arguably his strongest preseason performance.

Gabriel completed 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns, putting Cleveland in control before halftime.

His accuracy and command of the offense stood out even though he had received limited practice opportunities behind Watson and Sanders throughout training camp.

Monken praised Gabriel’s preparation and confidence, describing him as someone who consistently approaches his work like a professional.

The coach’s comments underline why Gabriel remains firmly in the conversation despite entering the season behind Watson and Sanders on the depth chart.

The Browns still have four quarterbacks

The biggest question now is whether Cleveland will carry four quarterbacks into the regular season.

Alongside Gabriel, the Browns have Watson, Sanders and rookie Taylen Green.

When asked directly whether Gabriel and Green would both make the final 53-man roster, Monken declined to provide an answer.

The decision ultimately involves more than one impressive preseason performance. Cleveland must balance quarterback depth against roster space at other positions, making the final cuts especially significant.

The NFL roster cut-down deadline is set for 6 p.m. Sunday, meaning the Browns do not have much time left to make the call.

Gabriel’s journey makes his performance even more interesting

Gabriel started six games as a rookie before suffering a concussion in Week 11. His injury opened the door for Sanders, who started Cleveland’s final seven games.

This preseason, Gabriel was largely used in the fourth quarter during Cleveland’s first two games before being given the starting assignment in the finale.

That limited exposure made Thursday night’s performance particularly valuable.

Gabriel acknowledged that the first two preseason games had been frustrating from his perspective, but he viewed the finale as an opportunity to show what he could do when given meaningful playing time.

And he certainly took advantage of it.

Taylen Green adds another layer to the competition

Gabriel was not the only young quarterback to make an impression.

Taylen Green, a sixth-round selection, entered after halftime and completed five of seven passes for 27 yards. His biggest impact came on the ground, where he rushed for 66 yards on eight carries.

Monken praised Green’s athletic ability and intelligence but also suggested that the rookie still has plenty to refine.

That creates another interesting roster dilemma for Cleveland. Green may be a developmental project, but his athletic upside could make him difficult to move away from.

Will Cleveland really keep four quarterbacks?

The Browns have experience carrying four quarterbacks, although their approach has changed from year to year.

In 2024, Cleveland initially kept four quarterbacks — Watson, Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Tyler Huntley — before releasing Huntley shortly after the roster deadline.

Last season, the Browns also entered training camp with four healthy quarterbacks, including Sanders, Gabriel, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. Pickett was eventually traded to the Las Vegas Raiders before final cuts.

That history suggests Cleveland is comfortable carrying extra quarterback depth temporarily, but it does not guarantee that Gabriel and Green will both survive the final roster decisions.

Gabriel may have made the decision harder

The Browns entered the preseason with a quarterback hierarchy that appeared to revolve around Watson and Sanders.

Gabriel’s performance against New England has not necessarily changed that order, as Monken indicated, but it has made the roster decision considerably more interesting.

For Gabriel, the timing could hardly have been better.

He did not need a perfect preseason. He needed an opportunity to remind the coaching staff why Cleveland invested a third-round pick in him.

Against the Patriots, he did exactly that.

Now comes the difficult part for the Browns: deciding whether one spectacular night is enough to earn Gabriel a place on the final roster — and whether there is room for four quarterbacks in Cleveland.

The answer should arrive by Sunday.

Barcelona marked their return to the Camp Nou with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, with Raphinha and Fermin Lopez finding the net to keep the Catalan side perfect after two league matches.

The result gives Barcelona six points from their opening two games and keeps them alongside Real Madrid, Real Betis and Sevilla at the top of the early LaLiga standings.

Raphinha Continues His Bright Start

Barcelona’s attacking threat once again came through Raphinha, who has quickly made his presence felt in a central role.

The Brazilian opened the scoring in the 37th minute after Pedri produced a perfectly timed through ball to split the Athletic defence.

Raphinha raced through, rounded goalkeeper Unai Simón and calmly finished into an empty net.

It was his third goal in Barcelona’s first two league games, an impressive return considering the club are still looking for a specialist striker before the transfer window closes.

Raphinha’s continued use as a centre-forward has therefore become one of the early talking points of Barcelona’s season.

Athletic Threaten, But Barcelona Stay in Control

Athletic Bilbao had opportunities to make the game uncomfortable for their hosts.

Before the interval, Simón produced an excellent close-range save to deny Lamine Yamal.

There was also controversy surrounding a challenge by Lamine on Aymeric Laporte. Athletic players appealed for a red card, but the referee and VAR decided against further action.

Barcelona continued to control much of the second half.

In the 53rd minute, Lamine came close again when his powerful effort from the edge of the penalty area crashed against the crossbar.

Athletic eventually created one of their best chances in the 75th minute, when Oihan Sancet struck the post from outside the box.

That miss proved costly.

Fermin Lopez Puts the Result Beyond Doubt

Barcelona finally added the second goal eight minutes later.

A low cross from Karim Adeyemi caused confusion inside the Athletic penalty area. Laporte failed to properly clear the ball, allowing Fermin Lopez to pounce on the loose possession.

Fermin controlled the ball inside the box before firing past Simón in the 82nd minute.

The goal effectively ended Athletic’s hopes of producing a late comeback and gave Barcelona a deserved two-goal cushion.

Rodri Makes His Barcelona Debut

The night also featured a significant debut.

Rodri, who joined Barcelona after his spell with Manchester City, entered the match in the 62nd minute.

The midfielder arrived in Catalonia with an impressive résumé that includes a World Cup triumph with Spain and major domestic and European success during his Manchester City career.

His introduction adds another major option to Barcelona’s midfield as the season develops.

Barcelona Start Strong at Home

The victory gives Barcelona six points from two matches, keeping them firmly among the early leaders of LaLiga.

For Athletic Bilbao, however, the beginning has been far less encouraging. They remain without a point, as does Real Sociedad.

Barcelona will take plenty of confidence from the performance. Raphinha is already finding the net regularly, Fermin provided an important late contribution and the team managed to protect its advantage despite Athletic creating moments of danger.

Most importantly, the return to the Camp Nou ended with exactly the kind of result Barcelona’s supporters wanted.

Two games, two wins — and Raphinha’s form suggests Barcelona may have discovered another attacking option while they continue their search for a traditional No. 9.

The Chicago Cubs didn’t need a late rally or a dramatic finish in Phoenix. They simply took control and never let go.

Behind a dominant seven-inning performance from Kevin Gausman and back-to-back home runs from Michael Conforto and Carson Kelly, the Cubs cruised to a 7-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.

**Kevin Gausman** delivered one of his strongest outings since joining Chicago, while **Carson Kelly** and **Michael Conforto** provided the power.

The win moved Chicago to within 5½ games of the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central lead, with Milwaukee idle on Monday.

Conforto and Kelly deliver the knockout blow

For much of the night, the game remained relatively close. That changed in the sixth inning.

With two outs, **Michael Conforto** stepped to the plate against Arizona reliever Taylor Clarke and launched a two-run homer to right field, extending Chicago’s advantage to 4-0.

Then came **Carson Kelly**.

The former Diamondbacks catcher followed Conforto with a solo shot to left. The consecutive home runs immediately transformed a competitive game into a comfortable Cubs lead.

It was a particularly satisfying moment for Kelly, who spent several seasons with Arizona before joining Chicago.

Gausman puts Arizona’s offense on ice

While the Cubs’ offense supplied the fireworks, **Kevin Gausman** made sure Arizona never found a way back into the contest.

The right-hander allowed only three hits and one walk across seven innings, striking out six while throwing just 94 pitches.

It was a major step forward for Gausman following his move to Chicago from the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline.

The right-hander consistently kept Arizona’s hitters under control, and the Diamondbacks never managed to put together a sustained offensive threat.

Conforto reaches base four times

Conforto wasn’t just responsible for one of the game’s biggest hits.

He reached base four times, collecting a single, a double and a home run while also drawing a walk.

Ian Happ and Pedro Ramírez also contributed two hits apiece as Chicago steadily built its lead.

The Cubs opened the scoring in the second inning when Ramírez ripped a triple down the right-field line, bringing Happ home.

Chicago added another run in the fifth. Seiya Suzuki doubled off the left-field wall, allowing Conforto to score and putting the Cubs ahead 2-0.

Then came the sixth-inning power surge that effectively ended the contest.

Arizona struggles to create offense

The Arizona Diamondbacks were unable to generate any meaningful response.

Arizona finished with only five hits, and every one of them was a single. There were no extra-base hits to seriously threaten Chicago’s pitching staff.

Corbin Carroll did manage to steal two bases, but those efforts couldn’t translate into runs.

Arizona starter Merrill Kelly was charged with the loss after allowing three runs on five hits and three walks over 5⅔ innings. He struck out four.

The Cubs’ pitching, however, remained firmly in command once Gausman departed.

Cubs continue the chase in the NL Central

The 7-0 victory gives Chicago another important result as it tries to close the gap on Milwaukee in the National League Central.

With the Brewers not playing Monday, the Cubs had an opportunity to make up ground — and they did so in convincing fashion.

Gausman’s performance provides an especially encouraging sign for Chicago. A strong start from a recently acquired veteran combined with timely power from Conforto and Kelly gives the Cubs plenty to build on.

For Arizona, meanwhile, the night was one to forget.

The Diamondbacks couldn’t solve Gausman, couldn’t capitalize on their limited baserunners and couldn’t stop Chicago’s offense once the sixth inning arrived.

In the end, the Cubs had the perfect formula: seven shutout innings from their starter, timely hitting and two consecutive home runs that broke the game wide open.