Browns Vs Commanders: 3 things to watch in their preseason Week 1 matchup

The Cleveland Browns play a football game on a Friday, very rare at the NFL level. Granted, it’s preseason but it’s better than nothing. The NFL Preseason gets underway as all 32 teams will play some form of football over the weekend.

Cleveland will play their 2nd preseason game at home against the Washington Commanders. As a reminder, this is preseason so it is important to take this game with a grain of salt and come out of it with an open mind.

One and done for offensive and defensive starters (potentially):

When asked about who could potentially play on Friday night, head coach Kevin Stefanski said that most of the starters will play, if they are healthy.

Essentially, expect the first-team offense and defense to play. How much will they play? It depends. They could be one series or two series, potentially three. It depends on how each series goes and Stefanski will go from there.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson has a full offseason under his belt and has been perfecting his craft after missing half of last season due to his suspension.

Players who are on the bubble will see extended playing time

It’s the preseason, so of course the first-team starters will be safe. As for players who are hanging on by a thread to stay on the roster, their playing time will be crucial.

Players such as wide receiver Anthony Schwartz, quarterback Kellen Mond and defensive tackle Jordan Elliott didn’t necessarily have a great showing in the preseason game against the New York Jets. Quarterback Kellen Mond is probably under the most pressure as he was thoroughly outplayed by rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Center Nick Harris, who missed all of last season due to an injury he suffered in the preseason game will have his work cut out for him after rookie center Luke Wypler had a solid showing.

Undrafted free agents will always get a fair share of extended reps because they aren’t guaranteed a roster spot, but guys such as defensive tackle Tommy Togiai, cornerback A.J. Green, and running back Demetric Felton will likely get extended time due to their roster uncertainty.

Expect some rust from the first-team offense

In terms of rust, the first-team offense will likely experience some of it. Considering that this group didn’t play in the last preseason game, this will be the first time they will be playing in a game-like situation. Their time together tonight could go well or it could go poorly but it will not define the offense. Granted, this is the preseason so expect the starters to showcase a little bit of rust but shake it off as the game progresses.

The offense will not be running any complex schemes or getting in unique formations, so expect to see the running game, play-action passing, screens, and the traditional formations that you would usually see.

What will you be watching for specifically tonight from the Browns? Join the comment section below to join our great community of Browns fans