The Cleveland Browns dropped to 1-5 on Sunday after losing to their hated division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, 23-9.
Rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel made his second consecutive start, completing 29 of 52 passes for 221 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Despite the lackluster performance, head coach Kevin Stefanski defended his quarterback, saying the team had to do a better job around him.
Kevin Stefanski says the Browns need to keep Dillon Gabriel 'clean'
In Stefanski's postgame press conference, he emphasized the importance of supporting Gabriel by keeping him protected.
"He’s a tough kid. We got to keep him clean. Obviously when the game turned into a two-score game you’ve got to drop back, and that’s a tough team to drop back versus. He kept battling. It wasn’t for lack of effort by him or anybody. He made some plays. But we’ve just got to be better," said Stefanski.
Gabriel, who was sacked six times during the loss, took it upon himself to publicly say the product on the field needs to be better.
"I try not to look big picture, just be present. I think other people in our building have the ability to look at that. But, for me, it’s, like, how can we be good right now and be the best version of ourselves," Gabriel said in his post-game presser.
"We obviously know that there are younger guys that are hungry and are gaining experience at the moment. But like I said, there’s got to be growth day to day, week-to-week. And it’s got to translate to a better outcome."
The Browns will have a chance to stabilize themselves in Week 7, when they take on a reeling Miami Dolphins squad.
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