The Cleveland Browns are set to play their first preseason game this Saturday against the Chicago Bears. With there only being three games in the preseason, we’ve seen how NFL teams have varied reps for starters. Some teams are more concerned with protecting their health, but other teams have more competition for starting roles and the potential starters see a greater amount of reps.
Since we’re less concerned about the defense, this week’s Reacts poll asked fans how long they wanted the Browns’ offensive starters to play in the first preseason game. 46% of fans voted for the first quarter, 40% of fans said the first half, and 14% of fans think they should play into the second half.
Head coach Todd Monken talked about how much he expected to play starters during his press conferences this week, although he was a little mixed on his messaging. This is what Monken said about playing time this past Monday, when asked about it:
“I’d like to get our starters out there for the first series together. I would like that to happen. That’s all pending, medical, where guys are at because we’re not going to put anybody at risk, so that’s also subject to change. I would like our starters to take the field together for the first time, and then we’ll see. If we’re going to evaluate the quarterbacks, we’ve got to make sure we can protect them, we’ve got to play the guys up front. We want to evaluate the quarterbacks as best as we can, irrespective of who else is in the game, we’ve got to evaluate the quarterbacks on how they’re able to function and score points.”
Then, on Wednesday, when talking about the quarterbacks specifically, he said he wanted them each to play about a half each. As we learned a few days ago, Deshaun Watson will play the first half against the Bears, while Shedeur Sanders will begin the third quarter.
“One’s going to start this week and one’s going to start next week, and we’re going to play them about a half each. I’d like to see a quarterback play a half and get a two-minute, we’re going to do everything we can to get a two-minute and for the half, and we’re going to try to do the exact same thing the next week.”
The Browns are still heavy underdogs to make the postseason, at 64/1 compared to the other teams, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.