Browns vs. Buccaneers gameday essentials: TV schedule, how to watch, notes

The Cleveland Browns will be at Raymond James Stadium on Friday night to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third preseason game for both teams.

The third preseason game has long been considered the “dress rehearsal” for the regular season, with the starters playing well into the third quarter before shutting it down until the start of the regular season.

Head coach Freddie Kitchens does not buy into that idea, however, and while the starters will be on the field in Tampa, how long will be decided on a “player-by-player basis,” Kitchens told clevelandbrowns.com:

“We are going to play our guys some. I do not know how long yet. We have had a good camp. It has been a good, physical camp. I like to get our work done right now in a controlled environment to see how much better we can get on a day-in and day-out basis. This week is a little different because you are definitely not going to do it next week. We will see. Some of it factors in on how guys are feeling – little nicks and bumps that they may have because they have nicks and bumps. You just have to factor all those things in and then make a determination. A certain player may need something different than another player. We try to make everybody feel special.”

Here are some nuggets about the matchup, as well as how you can watch or listen to the game.

Game Information

• Game Time/Date: Friday, August 23, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Fla.
• TV Channel: WEWS (Channel 5) - Jay Crawford, Tim Couch, John Doss (sideline reporter), Bernie Kosar and Dustin Fox (sideline analysts). The game will also be live on NFL Network. (Note: Live games on NFL Network will be blacked out in the participating teams’ over-the-air station markets.)
• Local Radio: 92.3 The Fan (WKRK-FM), ESPN 850 WKNR, WNCX (98.5 FM) with Jim Donovan, Doug Dieken, Nathan Zegura (sidelines)
• Weather: 84 degrees (feels like 94 degrees) with a 25 percent chance or rain
• Odds: Browns -3
• Over/under: 42.5

Local TV Stations Showing the Game

The following cities will get to watch the game live on local affiliates, per 506sports:

Browns:

• WEWS (ABC/5 - Cleveland)
• WBNS (CBS/10 - Columbus)
• WTOL (CBS/11 - Toledo)
• WYTV (ABC/33 - Youngstown)

Buccaneers:

• WFLA (NBC/8 - Tampa)
• WESH (NBC/2 - Orlando)
• WOGX (FOX/51 - Gainesville)
• WFTX (FOX/4 - Fort Myers)
• WTLH (FOX/49 - Tallahassee)
• WMBB (ABC/13 - Panama City)
• WFNA (CW/55 - Mobile AL)
• WHDF (CW/15 - Huntsville AL)

NFL Network Rebroadcast

The NFL Network will re-broadcast the Browns-Buccaneers game on:

• Saturday (August 24) at 7 a.m. ET
• Tuesday (Aug. 27) at 10 a.m. ET

Connections

• Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians was the Browns’ offensive coordinator from 2001-03. Cleveland’s head coach, Freddie Kitchens, was the Arizona Cardinals’ quarterbacks (2013-16) and running backs coach (2017) under Arians during the latter’s tenure as head coach.
• Cleveland’s new offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, handled the same role in Tampa Bay the last three seasons.
• Tampa Bay outside linebacker Carl Nassib played two seasons for the Browns after Cleveland drafted him in the third round in 2016.
• Cleveland linebacker Adarius Taylor joined the Buccaneers during the 2015 season and remained with the team through last year.
• The Bucs’ roster includes two other players who were with the Browns last season: wide receiver Breshad Perriman and offensive lineman Earl Watford.

(Per buccaneers.com)

History

• The last time these teams faced off in the preseason came on August 27, 2017, when quarterback Kevin Hogan led a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter and hit wide receiver Jordan Leslie with a five-yard touchdown pass for a 13-9 victory.
• Rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer started the game for the Browns and finished the game by completing six-of-18 passes for 93 yards and an interception. The next day then-head coach Hue Jackson named Kizer the team’s starting quarterback.
• Duke Johnson (three rushes for 43 yards) and Isaiah Crowell (11 rushes for 40 yards) carried the rushing attack.
• Wide receivers Cory Coleman and Leslie, along with tight end Seth DeValve, led the team with four receptions each.
• The Cleveland defense recorded five sacks, coming from linebackers Christian Kirksey and Tyrone Holmes, and defensive lineman Carl Nassib, Xavier Cooper and Emmanuel Ogbah.