In week one of the preseason both the Browns and Bills came up short. Browns losing 20-17 to the Washington Redskins, and the Bills lost 25-24 to the Carolina Panthers. These are preseason games and wins and losses don’t matter much. Thursday night these two hard nose football teams will square off in Cleveland.
Injuries
Both teams are plagued with injuries this week. The Browns will be without a few guys. Mingo is still recovering from surgery last week, cornerback Justin Gilbert suffered a hip flexor in practice, Terrell Pryor re-tweeked his hamstring, and Coach Mike Pettine has already ruled out Joe Haden. As for the Bills, Lesean McCoy injured his hamstring in practice. Percy Harvin seems to have sustained a serious hip injury and Fred Jackson is still expected to be out until next week.
Quarterbacks
Both of these teams have not had many good quarterbacks in the past 16 years. Actually this is obvious considering they both carry two of the longest streaks of not making the playoffs in the NFL. For the Browns, Josh McCown appears to be the man. He shined in the first preseason game throwing a touchdown to WR Travis Benjamin on his first drive. Manziel also showed a little flair by running in a 12 yard touchdown. Pettine has said McCown secures the starting job. The Bills have a bit of a controversy on their hands. Matt Cassel got the start in the first game but Tyrod Taylor played very well. EJ Manuel looks to be the third stringer but Tyrod and Matt are expected to share first team snaps in Cleveland.
RB Controversies
Both teams will have a little uncertainty at the RB position in this game. McCoy and Fred Jackson are both injured so that will leave all of the work to Bronson Hill and Ricky Seal. This could be a serious thing to watch if Jackson and McCoy struggle with injuries more during the regular season. Who will emerge as the clear 3rd stringer? Isaiah Crowell got the start for the Browns in the first game and Terrence West followed behind him. Duke Johnson still appears to be struggling to return to game action. There is no clear starter for the Browns at running back and these players will be battling for the job Thursday night.
What to watch for
Both teams have instilled a physical and tough attitude. Watch for a few skirmishes during the game and big hits. The Bills front seven is one of the best in the NFL and the Browns have one of the best offensive lines. This is the kind of football all fans love to watch. It will be a constant battle at the line of scrimmage. Keep an eye on Browns cornerbacks Williams and Desir to see who will shine without Gilbert in there. Without a doubt you will notice a battle between Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor. Both fan bases have great, passionate fans and these players play hard for their cities.