QB Dillon Gabriel (10.15.25)
It’s probably been a while since you were hit like that in a game. What did Monday feel like for you?
“Yeah, my mom used to beat my a** when I was a kid, so I don’t think anything will live up to it. No, I was just playing around, but I’m good. I’m good. It’s part of football, you know what I mean? That’s why you play it. We’re good.”
Dillon, it looked like Aaron (Rodgers) had a few words for you after the game. Just what was that like? You know, just getting a few words of encouragement from quarterback of that stature.
“I think just in general, a lot of respect for any opponent and the competition and yeah, I think just that was more of a respect thing afterwards. And you kind of shake the QB’s hand afterwards, so that’s what we kind of did.”
When you took over to start, you talked about being such a big fan of Jerry (Jeudy) and he’s yet to, I think, have a game that he’s wanted this season. So how do you help him get there?
“Yeah, I think it’s continuing our work together. I think Jerry’s hardest on himself and wants to play at a level for us as a team, but also, you know, himself as well. But I don’t think that’s ever going to stop our approach. You know, we believe in Jerry. Jerry believes in himself, and I think we’re going to just continue to work at it. You know, we got it. It’s one of those things you got to work your way through. But, I don’t want to keep sounding mundane and saying the same thing, but it starts with me and being able to help that connection. Then of course, just creating easy touches and then the rest will come. But the confidence building for everyone is a part of it as well.”
Did you know Tua (Tagovailoa) back in the day?
“Knew of Tua. Yeah. We played against each other once and of course him playing in Hawaii, everyone knew Tua.”
The first time two lefties are starting against each other in the NFL.
“I didn’t know that. I didn’t know that. That’s unique.”
What did you learn about yourself in your second start?
“Just, I think you continue to learn from each start. Each time going in there there’s a lot of details that you want to fine tune and continue to get better at and get more comfortable with that. But, you know, margin for error is small as well. So, I think I knew that but continue to learn that and try to evolve to be better for this team.”
Dillon, what about red zone? You know, the red zone performance, your own red zone performance, and just sort of everybody. It just seemed like so many things went wrong in the red zone or throws in the red zone or off or whatever. How do you feel like that went? And what do you need to do?
“Yeah, it needs to better. That’s plain and simple. We need to help ourselves. The two-minute is a different kind of situation, because you’re fighting time in that sense, but in the other two, got to get in the end zone, got to score touchdowns in the red area, not field goals.”
We started that chemistry building process with Jerry in the spring, and ever since you got to start kind of what have y’all been doing in practice, outside of practice, in the locker room, wherever else, to continue building that chemistry, continue getting on the same page.
“We try to be as present as we can in practice to maximize those reps that we do have together and when the ball gets to them, to continue to build that. But then afterwards, trying to get extra as well, just not trying to beat the bodies up, but still get extras at the top of the routes, catching in warm ups, just little things like that. But like I said, I think that’s something you just got to work your way through. And the belief in Jerry is through the roof, and everyone, you know, that’s in there as well. So, we’re just going to continue to build that trust together.”
Do you think targeting him 13 times is, you know, kind of representative of that trust and chemistry?
“Yeah, I don’t think it should stop just because of one play that maybe didn’t go his way. But, you know, that’s why I say it. There’s a pitch and a catch and it takes two to tango. So, you got to kind of help each other on that in that way.”
When you talk about always wanting plays back, is the miss to Jerry when he’s on that scramble play where he kind of breaks loose. Is that at the top of the list?
“For sure. Yeah, I think there’s a bunch. And I think from play to play, you know, there’s a lot of things that you want back, and you take notes on and you want to continue to emphasize. But I think, the common theme is when you need it, you gotta go get it, and that’s kind of what we need to do.”
Anything stand out about that? I mean, on that throw, was it just a bad throw or could you stop moving or…
“Yeah, I think I could have just put it on him, but was kind of playing…he was starting to get even with the defender and starting to get over the top. So, I wanted to put a little more touch. But one of those throws in between that, you know, you look back and maybe I could have put the ball on his left inside shoulder. Maybe would have been a tougher catch or you know, could you maybe just flatten the ball a little bit.
Dillon, I think you dropped back 58 times, threw it 52, just how do you how do you lower that number so that all the pressure isn’t on the passing game?
“In a perfect world, you know, you always want to be balanced in a lot of ways. And I think within the situation of the game, you have to attack it a certain way and at some point you’re not fighting the scoreboard, you’re fighting time and you know, we’re kind of fighting both at the same time, but you want to kind of attack it a little more. And that’s what got us into that. But yeah, I think it’s pretty obvious. Winning football is pretty balanced and it kind of works in unison, the run and the pass to set things up, create more explosives, chunks and just be more efficient in general.”
Dillon, in the first couple games you’ve only had a couple deep passes, has that been more the game plan or anything you called and it just hasn’t been there?
“No, I think it’s been called and there’s times of getting into it. I think always being aware of immediate reactions and trying to be smart with the football, knowing when there’s time to take shots and not, but also just knowing where we’re at certain points and wanting to play positive, efficient football and continue to do that. But yeah, we want more chunks in the pass game, more explosives, for sure.”
David (Njoku) is not going to practice or probably not going to practice today with his knee injury, but how much are you hoping that he gets back? How important is he to everything that you guys do?
“Yeah, David’s really good. You know, we want him to play on our team, but we also want him healthy.”
Did it always feel special to be left-handed. You know, Tony (Grossi) was talking about it’s the first matchup of two lefties. I’m sure you haven’t seen a ton in your day. Like did it always…was it important to you, did it matter at all?
“Not necessarily. I think I felt more special when I played baseball. You know, lefties were a little – I guess not unique, but it was more sought after versus in football there’s more righties, but for the most part it’s getting the ball from point A to point B. So, I think it’s at that point it’s, to each their own.”
Were you a pitcher?
“Yeah.”
The same issues keep plaguing this offense week after week. How can you as leader of an offense, kind of fix those mistakes?
“Yeah, there’s got to be change. You know, I think it’s one of those you got to work your way through it, and you know, there’s some tough times and you got to work your way through it. That’s point blank. You got to get to work, find different solutions. And I know I’ve said that before, but you have to go do that and then when you get in those moments, you got to go take it. You know, there’s times you got to go win a game, have a play or a chunk, that could be the difference. And the difference is what everyone strives for, to be on top.”
So why do you think you guys haven’t been able to do that so far?
“Because we just haven’t done it. So, we need to change it. And like I said, there’s solutions that you want to find, to find a better outcome. But like I said, it comes down to a couple plays that could be here or there. And I think you can look at third downs, we can be better at red area, running the football, being more efficient in the pass game. So, I think if you look at it through that, there’s a lot of areas we can be better. But then at a certain point too, it’s the mentality that we all have to come together as well.”
Dillon, after the game, Myles Garrett expressed his frustration that you guys keep losing the same way every single week. At the same time, he was very supportive of you as a quarterback. So I’m just wondering what impact does that have on you when you hear him talk about that and have you guys’ kind of talked through this some together?
“Yeah, he cares about winning, you know, it matters to him. So of course there’s going to be frustration. But at the same time, I think with leaders on our team, that’s us being about our action and being about, going to work. And that’s what these guys do. So, we gotta continue to work together and find answers because we want a better outcome, we do.”
What are you expecting from your first home start? Are you looking forward to being in front of the home crowd for the first time?
“I am. I’m excited. You know, it’ll be a lot of fun to start at home and excited to be back here. It’ll be fun.”
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