The preseason is drawing to a close with one final matchup against the Seahawks. Then, the Browns will turn their focus to the regular season and continue preparation for Week 1 when they host the Cowboys on Sept. 8.
As they gear up for Week 1, head coach Kevin Stefanski said their starters should expect to play against the Seahawks. They'll face a number of Seattle's starters as well, as Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald announced on Thursday "a lot of starters" would see playing time.
Here are three burning questions ahead of Saturday's preseason finale.
Will QB Deshaun Watson play?
The biggest question throughout the week was Watson's status for Saturday's game. When Stefanski said that starters should expect to play earlier in the week, Watson was in that grouping originally.
However, as the week progressed, questions arose about if he would play and start, and how much he would play. Stefanski said they would determine those factors over the course of the week.
Watson also was limited in practice on Wednesday due to general arm soreness, but Stefanski said Watson was "feeling fine." He rested for the latter portion of practice.
During Thursday's practice, Watson resumed throwing and took his normal full complement of reps with the first team. There was not an update on his status for Saturday's game.
If Watson starts or plays against Seattle, it will be his first live game action since November of the 2023 season. He's progressed throughout the offseason and training camp, taking reps in 11on-11 and 7-on-7 drills, and took the majority of reps during the joint practices with the Vikings. As the Browns simultaneously prepare for the first week of the regular season, game reps for Watson could prove to be beneficial heading into the 2024 regular season.
How will the receiving corps complement one another?
With starters expected to play, the Browns could see their trio of top receivers out on the field on Saturday with Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore.
Jeudy missed sometime early in training camp at The Greenbrier before he returned to team drills. Cooper left practice on Aug. 15 and then returned to practice on Wednesday. And while they have taken reps in practice with the offense, they have not all played in a game together.
With all three healthy and on the field together, the offense will have different weapons to utilize in the passing game. They each have established connections with Watson and can help spread the defense to create open opportunities all over the field.
Stefanski said that dating back to the spring, the three receivers began building their connection as a unit and their chemistry with Watson. Then through training camp they worked through individual reps, 7-on-7 and team reps.
"So, a lot of it is the quarterback just building a book on all of his players and understanding the nuance of each one of those guys," Stefanski said.
What will the offensive line look like?
The Browns have dealt with numerous injuries to their offensive line over the course of training camp and in the preseason games, which has affected their depth both at tackle and at center.
C Luke Wypler sustained a fractured ankle injury that required surgery in the first preseason game against the Packers, and LT James Hudson III is also dealing with an ankle injury. T Hakeem Adeniji sustained a knee injury in the second preseason game and was placed on injured reserve.
They are also waiting for the return of RT Jack Conklin and LT Jedrick Wills Jr., after each sustained season-ending knee injuries during the 2023 season.
However, C Ethan Pocic, G Joel Bitonio, G Wyatt Teller, T Dawand Jones and G Zak Zinter have taken reps in training camp and worked to build their chemistry. T Lorenzo Thompson and T Roy Mbaeteka both earned more game reps in the second preseason game against the Vikings following injuries. T Germain Ifedi also has taken reps at left tackle and has experience in a starting role over the course of his career. In his seven-year NFL career, Ifedi has started 83 of 102 career games.
The Browns utilize one more preseason game to work through their depth on the offensive line as they head into the regular season.
