Eagles-Browns preseason takeaways: Dillon Gabriel has solid day in debut; Philly appears to have rookie star

PHILADELPHIA -- The excitement at Lincoln Financial Field was far from palpable. The Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns engaged in a preseason battle, but that was only due to the exhibition slate mandated by the NFL.

The crowd was half full at best, as both the Eagles and Browns got their work in during the joint practices at the NovaCare Complex earlier this week. This second preseason game was for the third team to get some live game reps, a form of peak exhibition season. 

For the Browns, the game may have meant more. They have a quarterback battle to sort out, as Dillon Gabriel had his first start of the preseason on Saturday. Gabriel likely isn't going to win the starting quarterback job, but this was an opportunity to prove he can play in an NFL game if called upon. The Browns did invest a third-round pick on him after all. 

How did Gabriel look in his debut? What did the Eagles figure out on defense over this past week? These are the main takeaways from the Browns' 22-13 victory in the Saturday afternoon affair. 

How Dillon Gabriel fared

Gabriel got the start for the second preseason game after working his way back from a hamstring injury this week. With Kenny Pickett (hamstring) still limited and Shedeur Sanders (oblique) held out of this one, Gabriel had an excellent opportunity to show the Browns he was worth the investment as a third-round pick. 

This was a good day for Gabriel, despite some of the results that will end up in the box score. He finished 13 of 18 for 143 yards with an interception, a 75-yard return for a touchdown by Andrew Mukuba, ending his day with a 72.2 passer rating. 

Gabriel had some nice throws with the football, especially on third down. He finished 6 of 6 for 51 yards on third down, finishing with a 102.1 passer rating. Gabriel was 5 for 5 on third down in the first quarter, consistently moving the chains and having more than enough time to get rid of the football. 

Of course, the day wasn't perfect. In addition to the interception on an ill-advised throw while rolling out in coverage, Gabriel botched a snap which led to a fumble and a giveaway (he had two in the half). He was also sacked twice. 

The Browns had to like what they saw out of Gabriel on Saturday, but he's still behind Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett in this competition at the moment. He was also trailing Sanders due to his injury. Let's see if this preseason performance helps his stock. 

Andrew Mukuba's eventful day

If there was any defensive player on the Eagles that found the football, it was Mukuba. The Eagles second-round pick had a banner first half, intercepting Dillon Gabriel for a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown and had a fumble recovery. The Eagles defense had two takeaways, and Mukuba had both of them. 

Mukuba's interception return for a score was even more impressive considering he read one of the route runners and jumped has man in coverage once he saw Gabriel make an ill-advised throw. He read Gabriel's eyes and was able to take away the pass, which was only Gabriel's second incompletion of the day to that point. 

When Mukuba had the interception return, Gabriel was 8 of 9 for 73 yards and a 100.5 passer rating, completing his first five third down passes. The Eagles had 3 total yards at that point of the game, so Mukuba's play provided a spark on both sides of the ball.

On this hot Saturday afternoon, Mukuba also battled the elements as he took a play to throw up on the sideline. The first half was quite eventful for the rookie. 

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Eagles CB2 battle

Through nearly a month of training camp and two preseason games, the battle for the starting cornerback job opposite Quinyon Mitchell is wide open. Kelee Ringo and Adoree Jackson got the start on the initial series, but Ringo was not in on the second series as new addition Jakorian Bennett entered the game.

Ringo was the victim of a pick play on a Dillon Gabriel pass to Jamari Thrash that went for 19 yards on a third-and-2, the latest struggle in coverage for him this preseason. Ringo didn't have a good week in the joint practices either, significantly hurting his stock in this competition. He also was playing in the third quarter, something neither Jackson nor Bennett were doing.

Jackson wasn't rotated back in the game, only playing early -- a strong sign he's still the favorite to win the job. Bennett had a pass breakup on Browns wide receiver Gage Larvadain when he entered the game for Ringo, while also knocking Diontae Johnson off his route on a go ball in the first half. The pass breakup was impressive as Bennett got a hand on the ball late, deflecting it before Larvadain could get a big gain off the catch. 

Ringo's stock continues to drop while Bennett continues to acclimate himself in the defense. This week will be massive for all three in the CB2 battle, but Jackson and Bennett appear to be ahead of Ringo right now. 

Stock up for Azeez Ojulari

The Eagles pass rush has been a concern all summer, mainly because the unit is relying on Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt to carry the load. Philadelphia signed Ojulari to a $4 million deal this offseason, their biggest contract of all the one-year deals they signed. 

Through the first three weeks of camp, Ojulari was struggling to find his footing in the defense. He wasn't making plays nor was creating enough pressure off the edge, but that all changed in the joint practices vs. the Browns.

Ojulari had a "sack" in the joint practice on Wednesday and continued to impact the quarterback in Saturday's preseason game. He easily beat Browns offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas off the edge on a third-and-3 in the second quarter that resulted in a loss for 7 yards and forced Cleveland to kick a field goal. 

Ojulari has been getting more comfortable in the defense, and may have entered the conversation for more snaps. Jsh Uche, also signed to a one-year deal, has also had a good camp. 

Eagles have a QB3 battle

For the first time in Nick Sirianni's head coaching career, his No. 2 quarterback did not play in the second preseason game. Tanner McKee isn't hurt, but the Eagles know what they have and want to protect their investment as Jalen Hurts' backup. There is no reason to play him. 

Dorian Thompson-Robinson got the start in this game, and didn't fare well. The Eagles had ran 10 plays for a total of 7 yards on Thompson-Robinson's first two series before he gave way to sixth-round pick Kyle McCord. On McCord's first series, the Eagles went seven plays for 31 yards and scored -- a 9-yard pass to Ainias Smith for the touchdown. McCord went 2 of 2 for 15 yards with a touchdown and converted a "Tush Push" for a first down. 

Thompson-Robinson surprisingly re-entered the game and threw an interception return for a touchdown to Browns pass rusher K.J. Henry -- the result of a batted pass. He had two pass attempts batted in this game, one resulted in a loss of 14 yards and the other for a defensive touchdown. Thompson-Robinson was 3 of 8 for 8 yards with an interception (25.0 rating) when he threw the interception, leaving the game after the pick was returned for a score. He did return in an rotation with McCord, finishing 5 of 8 for 17 yards (27.1 rating). 

The Eagles thought they had the clear front runner for QB3 in Thompson-Robinson. Turns out, McCord has an opportunity to snatch that roster spot.