The Browns’ Preseason Might Matter This Year
Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Believe it or not, we are now less than a month away from the Cleveland Browns’ first preseason game on August 8 vs. the Green Bay Packers. Years ago, the preseason was a bit more exciting as it felt like we got more and more time with the starters, but now because of injuries and joint practices, we really don’t get a ton of visuals on the starters before Week 1.
This year the Browns’ joint practice will happen with the Minnesota Vikings before their second preseason game on August 17, which is when most of the first-teamers will get their reps. Last year the Browns had joint practices vs. the Eagles which was a fantastic challenge, but a lesser opponent in the Vikings this offseason could be exactly what the Browns need.
With major quarterback questions and a lot of turnover on the defensive side of the ball, this joint practice should be a great opportunity for the first team to get in solid work and walk away as the clear winner.
In years past Kevin Stefanski has not been one to push the starters in preseason and has utilized the games to evaluate the bottom end of his roster. On one hand, you must be careful to not risk injuries, but with this season being so crucial, you will likely see a different approach in August from this staff.
While we were finally starting to see some good football from Deshaun Watson last year before his season-ending shoulder injury, we still haven’t seen the kind of consistent play from early in his career in Houston, when he was the league leader in passing yards.
Some say it is silly to run your $235 million quarterback on the field for a meaningless game, but Watson needs as many first-team reps as he can get to get back in the groove. He isn’t just hopping back on a bike after a few years off, he is lining up against some of the best athletes in the world and trying to push a football down the field.
Because of this, the Browns’ first-team offense should see a lot of time during these joint practices, where you can control the quarterback getting hit. But this group may also get more than the standard one-to-two series’ worth of action in the preseason.
It’s a risky play to send the first-teamers out there so frequently because of the injuries Cleveland sustained throughout last season. It’s also risking them looking bad and depleting even more morale and confidence. If Stefanski continually sends this group on the field and they don’t see success, it could have the opposite effect. But the need for game action for Watson and others outweighs any risk, particularly with their need to get to a fast start.
Since 1999, it feels like even the good Browns teams (which have been few and far between), can’t figure out how to start the season. The fact that they’ve only made the playoffs twice in that span really hammers home how they can not afford another slow start.
With the Dallas Cowboys coming to town in Week 1, it will be imperative for this team to show up, especially on offense. It’s hard to call the first game of the season — against an NFC opponent, no less — “must win”, but this is a game where Watson and the offense must show some positive signs.
The Browns will travel to play Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, which will be no easy feat. From there, they will have a softer schedule as they host the New York Giants and then travel to play the Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders. Those three are winnable games, but if this team stumbles to an 0-2 start, those next three games will have far more pressure and leave no room for error.
The one silver lining for the Browns is that they don’t face a divisional opponent until Week 7, when they host the Cincinnati Bengals. While it would mean starting 0-2 wouldn’t necessarily lose them a shot at an AFC North title, it would still be catastrophic to come out of the gate slow.
Once again on paper, this team looks as tough as any. They have talent on both sides of the roster, they have both veteran and young talent players, and they have a terrific coaching staff. Since the final year of the Baker Mayfield era, fans have been making excuses for this roster and that will finally come to a head in 2024. If Stefanski and Watson fail to win fewer than 10 games and don’t make the playoffs, you’ll likely see this roster (and possible coaching staff) completely dismantled next offseason.
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