In a historic showdown that had Hawaii pride running high yesterday, two Hawaii-born quarterbacks faced off for the first time in an NFL starting lineup, according to KHON2. Dillon Gabriel of the Cleveland Browns went head-to-head with Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins in what turned out to be a less-than-ideal day for Tagovailoa and his team. Cleveland came out on top with a solid 31-6 victory against the Dolphins, marking a significant first career win for Gabriel.
Despite the unfavorable weather conditions that the game contended with, Gabriel managed to throw for 116 yards, coupling it with 12 rushing yards in a display that didn't exactly set the stats ablaze, but did enough to secure a much-needed win. "Most of the guys are eager. Guys want to be better. And when you look at the areas of improvement, it’s encouraged…winning is fun for sure," Gabriel told KHON2 after the game.
On the other side of the field, things didn't pan out as well for Tagovailoa. Completing only 12 of 23 attempts for 100 yards, he threw three interceptions before being benched in favor of Quinn Ewers. This performance tanked his passer rating to a career-low 24.1, adding to the Dolphins' string of misfortunes as they dropped to a 1-6 record for the season. After the game, a conciliatory Tagovailoa said to Gabriel, "I just told him congratulations, wished them the best of luck, things of that nature," in a statement obtained by Spectrum Local News.
Amidst the turnovers, Quinshon Judkins, running back for the Browns, exploited Miami's weak spots for three touchdowns - a commendable feat not achieved since Nick Chubb in 2022. Interesting to note, two of Judkins' touchdowns came from direct snaps out of the Wildcat formation. "Any predicament puts yourself in the best position to go out there and prepare for that. During the week of practicing with wet balls and our coaches have been putting us in position to succeed," Judkins mentioned to Spectrum Local News, shedding light on the team's preparation for the game's damp conditions.
The success story of Gabriel wasn't the only Hawaii-connected note from Week 7. Players such as Andrei Iosivas and Darius Muasau also made their presence felt, contributing to their respective teams' performances, as reported by KHON2. Meanwhile, rays of hope grew dim for Miami's coach, Mike McDaniel, who is sitting on a balanced 29-29 record in his fourth season. With scrutiny mounting, McDaniel remained focused on his duties: "If I'm thinking about having a job, I need to be doing my job,” he remarked to Spectrum Local News, reinforcing his commitment to the team amidst swirling uncertainty about his future.
