Cleveland Browns vs Philadelphia Eagles Match Player Stats (Aug 16, 2025)

The Browns beat the Eagles 22-13 at Lincoln Financial Field on August 16, 2025. Dillon Gabriel threw for 143 yards on 13-of-18 passing in his NFL debut, Pierre Strong Jr. rushed for 89 yards including a 54-yard burst, and K.J. Henry returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown against the team that cut him. Andrew Mukuba scored on a 75-yard pick-six for Philadelphia, but the Eagles managed just 88 total yards in their home preseason loss.

---

---

Quarterback Performance

Gabriel’s first NFL start opened with a statement drive. He spread the ball to eight different receivers and converted three third downs on the first possession alone. The only interception came when Diontae Johnson and Blake Whiteheart ran routes to the same spot. Andrew Mukuba jumped between both receivers and took it 75 yards for a touchdown.

Kevin Stefanski explained afterward: “The tight end and wide receiver were out of their sandbox on the play.”

Tyler Huntley took over after halftime. He completed 76.9% of his passes and kept drives alive without drama.

Kyle McCord and Dorian Thompson-Robinson split duties for Philadelphia, switching by series. McCord threw a 9-yard touchdown to Ainias Smith but completed just half his attempts. Thompson-Robinson absorbed a crushing hit from Julian Okwara that produced K.J. Henry’s pick-six. Combined, the two quarterbacks threw for 64 yards on 24 attempts.

Rushing Stats

Strong broke free for 54 yards on the first play of the fourth quarter. Right tackle Sebastian Gutierrez and guard Javion Cohen opened a hole on the right side. Strong hit it and didn’t stop until reaching Philadelphia’s 18-yard line. Three plays later, Cleveland kicked a field goal to go up two possessions.

Marshall punched in the game’s first touchdown from 4 yards out. The score capped a 13-play, 63-yard drive that ate over eight minutes of clock. Marshall drove through contact at the goal line for his first NFL score.

Philadelphia averaged 1.7 yards per carry. Montrell Johnson managed 20 yards but never found space. ShunDerrick Powell lost 5 yards on three attempts. Cleveland’s defensive front hit runners behind the line all afternoon.

Receiving Leaders

Davis caught everything thrown his way. Three targets, three catches, 44 yards. His 29-yard grab over the middle during the two-minute drill moved Cleveland into field goal range before halftime.

Thrash’s reliability stood out. Perfect on four targets, including a crucial third-and-2 conversion for 19 yards in the second quarter. His route precision created separation against zone coverage.

Beyond his 16-yard rushing setup, Larvadain caught three passes for 43 yards while drawing seven targets. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees lined him up in multiple spots across the formation.

Philadelphia got production from one receiver. Smith beat coverage on consecutive inside slants, with the second going for a 9-yard touchdown. The Eagles’ lone offensive score.

Defensive Performance

Cleveland held Philadelphia to 88 total yards. Eighty-eight yards in 60 minutes of football.

Jim Schwartz’s defense generated six quarterback hits despite recording just one sack. The constant pressure kept Philadelphia’s quarterbacks uncomfortable from the opening snap.

Nathaniel Watson shot through gaps for three tackles for loss. He diagnosed plays quickly and hit ball carriers before blockers could react.

McGuire’s third-down sack forced Philadelphia to settle for a field goal. He used a speed move to beat his blocker, collapsing the pocket from the right side.

Then K.J. Henry got his moment.

Philadelphia cut Henry during training camp. Cleveland claimed him off waivers days later. On Philadelphia’s first possession of the second half, Julian Okwara beat left tackle Myles Hinton and crushed Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The ball popped straight up. Henry grabbed it out of the air and raced 45 yards to the end zone.

Stefanski after the game: “He was a later arrival for us coming from Philadelphia, so it’s pretty cool for him to have that moment.”

Jihaad Campbell hit Gabriel for a 4-yard sack on Cleveland’s second offensive play. The Alabama linebacker burst through on a delayed blitz. Campbell finished with four tackles and a quarterback hit in limited snaps.

Andrew Mukuba had the game of his young career. The rookie safety jumped Gabriel’s route for a 75-yard pick-six. He recovered a fumbled handoff later in the half. Mukuba created two turnovers worth 13 points in fewer than 20 snaps. Nick Sirianni on Mukuba’s instincts: “Guys that have a knack for the football just find ways to be around the football.”

Special Teams

Kicking

Punting

Szmyt went perfect in his debut. The undrafted Syracuse kicker hit from 33 and 49 yards, with the longer one cutting Philadelphia’s halftime lead to 13-12.

Hopkins added a 46-yarder in the second quarter that briefly put Cleveland ahead 9-7.

Mann kept Philadelphia in the game with seven punts averaging 52.3 yards. His 67-yard bomb in the third quarter flipped field position when the Eagles needed it most.

Game Flow

Gabriel opened with a 13-play, 63-yard touchdown drive that consumed 8:05. He completed four passes for 29 yards and converted three third downs. Gage Larvadain’s 16-yard end-around moved the ball to the 5-yard line. Ahmani Marshall scored on the next play.

The two-point attempt failed when backup long snapper Brent Matiscik delivered a low snap. Cleveland led 6-0.

Philadelphia went three-and-out twice. Cleveland’s defense forced quick punts both times.

On the next drive, disaster struck. Diontae Johnson and Blake Whiteheart ran routes to the same spot near the left sideline. Gabriel threw between them. Mukuba jumped the route and raced 75 yards for a touchdown. Philadelphia led 7-6 with 14:44 left in the second quarter.

Gabriel responded. He hit Jamari Thrash twice and Cedric Tillman once for 18 yards, moving Cleveland into field goal range. Hopkins connected from 46 yards. Browns 9, Eagles 7.

The next drive started with disaster. Gabriel and Pierre Strong botched the handoff on first down. Mukuba recovered at Cleveland’s 31-yard line.

Kyle McCord capitalized five plays later, finding Ainias Smith for a 9-yard touchdown on a slant. Philadelphia failed the two-point attempt. Eagles 13, Browns 9.

Gabriel got one more chance before halftime. He hit Kaden Davis for 29 yards on first down, then found Brenden Bates for 13 yards two plays later. Szmyt drilled the 49-yard field goal as time expired. Eagles 13, Browns 12.

Cleveland’s defense and K.J. Henry took over in the second half.

On Philadelphia’s first possession of the third quarter, Okwara beat Myles Hinton off the edge and hit Thompson-Robinson. The ball went straight up. Henry caught it and scored. Browns 19, Eagles 13.

The Eagles managed 33 yards over the final 30 minutes.

Strong’s 54-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter set up Szmyt’s second field goal. Philadelphia’s final three possessions produced 14 combined yards. Tyler Huntley kneeled to end it.

Statistical Breakdown

Cleveland outgained Philadelphia by 243 yards. The Browns averaged 5.2 yards per play. Philadelphia averaged 2.0.

Two yards per snap. That’s suffocating defense.

Cleveland ran 63 plays to Philadelphia’s 44, controlling the ball for nearly 36 minutes in 90-degree heat. ESPN’s full box score tracks every snap and substitution from both sides.

The Setup

This matchup came after two days of joint practices at the Eagles’ facility. Both teams prioritized those Wednesday and Thursday sessions over Saturday’s game.

Kevin Stefanski held out several key players after the joint work. Myles Garrett and Jerry Jeudy didn’t dress. Four standout rookies sat: defensive tackle Mason Graham, linebacker Carson Schwesinger, tight end Harold Fannin Jr., and running back Dylan Sampson. All four impressed during the joint practices.

Philadelphia rested most starters for similar reasons. Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, and A.J. Brown watched from the sideline.

Gabriel got the start after recovering from a hamstring injury that kept him out of Cleveland’s preseason opener. Stefanski waited until game day to announce the decision. “We have to protect players from themselves,” Stefanski said. “Sometimes guys want to play so bad. You just have to make sure they can protect themselves so they can go perform.”

Shedeur Sanders, who threw two touchdowns in Week 1, sat with an oblique strain suffered during Wednesday’s practice. Joe Flacco didn’t play. Kenny Pickett remained out with his own hamstring issue.

Nick Sirianni rotated Thompson-Robinson and McCord by series rather than by half. “We wanted to get both of them reps with the twos and also with the threes,” Sirianni explained. Each quarterback got work with different offensive line groupings, but the switching disrupted rhythm.

Roster Battles After the Game

Gabriel’s 13-of-18 performance put him squarely in Cleveland’s quarterback competition.

Six consecutive third-down conversions before the turnovers. That’s not luck.

Johnson’s route error contributed to the interception. The fumbled handoff reflected timing issues that typically smooth out with repetition.

Strong’s 89 yards on 6.8 yards per carry answered any questions about his roster status. His speed complemented Jerome Ford’s power running.

Mukuba’s two-turnover performance created real competition at safety for Philadelphia. Sydney Brown entered camp as the presumptive starter opposite Reed Blankenship. Mukuba’s playmaking ability forced the coaching staff to reconsider.

Campbell gave defensive coordinator Vic Fangio another versatile weapon. His burst and timing worked in multiple situations.

Davis went perfect on targets for the second straight preseason game. That reliability matters.

Diontae Johnson caught one pass on three targets for seven yards. The veteran’s uneven preseason continued. Cleveland.com’s game analysis breaks down which position battles remained unresolved.

Scheme Notes

Gabriel played the entire first half. No rotation. Stefanski trusted the rookie against Philadelphia’s front-line defenders before bringing in backups.

Cleveland’s third-down playcalling featured intermediate routes on third-and-medium situations. Gabriel converted the first six attempts.

The run game featured creative designs. Larvadain’s 16-yard end-around came on first-and-goal, catching Philadelphia’s defense unprepared for misdirection.

Philadelphia’s defensive scheme emphasized delayed blitzes from linebackers. Campbell’s opening-drive sack came when he timed his rush to hit Gabriel as the pocket collapsed. The approach generated two turnovers but also allowed Gabriel to complete 72% of his passes.

Jim Schwartz brought pressure without sending extra rushers. His defensive linemen used twisting movements to confuse blocking assignments, creating one-on-one matchups. The approach held Philadelphia to 88 total yards.

Before Week 1

Cleveland’s quarterback competition continued into the preseason finale against the Rams. All four signal-callers returned to health for that game. The finale determined whether the Browns kept four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster or made a tough choice between Gabriel and Sanders.

Philadelphia addressed backup quarterback concerns before the regular season. Thompson-Robinson and McCord combined for 64 yards on 24 attempts in this game. The defending Super Bowl champions focused on getting starters healthy for Week 1 while sorting through depth issues at multiple positions.

This preseason matchup provided clarity on several position battles. Gabriel’s debut gave Cleveland confidence in their quarterback depth. Henry’s performance validated the Browns’ waiver claim. Mukuba’s two-turnover game forced Philadelphia to reconsider their safety rotation. Cleveland’s official recap broke down how these performances influenced final roster decisions before the August 26 cutdown deadline.

For comprehensive player statistics and game analysis, visit Match Player Stats.