Browns vs. Jaguars: Preseason Week 1

The Cleveland Browns open their preseason schedule tonight against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

This will be the first preseason game for head coach Kevin Stefanski after COVID-19 wiped out the exhibition schedule in 2020, so it will be interesting to see how he manages playing time in the coming weeks.

One thing that is clear for tonight is that the majority of the Browns starters will sit this one out, but there are still plenty of reasons for Browns fans to tune in.

Here is how to watch or listen to the game, plus a few things to keep an eye on.

Game Info

Kickoff: 7 p.m.

Stadium: TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla.

TV: News 5 in the Cleveland market, NFL Network for the rest of the country

Announcers: Tom McCarthy, Joe Thomas, Nathan Zegura (sideline reporter)

Radio: 92.3 The Fan (WKRK), ESPN 850 WKNR and WNCX (98.5)

Announcers: Jim Donovan, Doug Dieken, Andrew Gribble (sideline reporter)

Stream: Browns app, clevelandbrowns.com, NFL Game Pass

Weather: 81 degrees and cloudy, with a 15 percent chance of rain (weather.com)

Last meeting: The Browns defeated Jacksonville, 27-25, in Week 12 of the 2020 season. The Browns are 6-12 all-time in the regular season against the Jaguars.

Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images

A Few Things to Watch For

Who is catching the ball? - Donovan Peoples-Jones is currently leading the camp battle to be the third wide receiver behind starters Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., and he should have at least a brief opportunity to see some game action tonight, as should veteran Rashard Higgins.

Rookie Demetric Felton should see time at both running back and wide receiver — where he can be a matchup problem — although fellow rookie Anthony Schwartz is still dealing with a hamstring injury and will not play. That will give KhaDarel Hodge a chance to show that he deserves a roster spot.

The offensive line depth - The starting unit is set on the offensive line, which leaves the preseason to develop the second unit. The Browns kept nine offensive linemen last season, so roster spots are at a premium on the line.

If you pencil in veteran Chris Hubbard as the swing tackle, second-year player Nick Harris as the backup center, and rookie James Hudson III, that leaves just one open spot for the likes of Michael Dunn, Blake Hance, Drew Forbes and Greg Senat.

Having the league’s best offensive line is very nice. Having a second unit that makes it difficult on general manager Andrew Berry on cutdown day is almost as good. The opportunity to make that happen continues tonight.

Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images

JOK’s debut - Rookie linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah missed the first 10 days of training camp and admitted this week that he is still trying to catch up to the rest of the defense.

That process will be accelerated tonight as Owusu-Koramoah should see a decent amount of playing time. While the play calling on both sides of the ball will be generic, it will still be worth keeping an eye on JOK to see what he does in his first live game action.

The cornerbacks - The Browns are expected to open the game with Greg Newsome II and Greedy Williams as the starting cornerbacks. It will be the first NFL game for Newsome and the first for Williams since De. 29, 2019.

Newsome is reportedly in line to claim the starting cornerback position opposite Denzel Ward, and so it will be nice to see him in action tonight. As for Williams, the focus will be on how his shoulder holds up in his first game action after missing the entire 2020 season.

Clogging the middle - Malik Jackson and Andrew Billings are still considered the front runners to open the season as the starting defensive tackles, but the pressure is on from the backups.

Jordan Elliott, Tommy Togiai and Sheldon Day are all pressing for playing time, and the Browns also have Marvin Wilson and Malik McDowell (who is dealing with an oblique injury) possibly in the mix. Browns fans should get an early idea of how the coaching staff sees the rotation shaking out during tonight’s game.

Those are just a few things to keep an eye on tonight; now it is time to have our say. Outside of no one getting injured, what are you looking for from the Browns in tonight’s game against Jacksonville?