The Cleveland Browns are playing the Philadelphia Eagles in their second preseason matchup on Saturday.
The Cleveland Browns are currently in Philadelphia conducting joint practices and preparing for their second official preseason game on Saturday. Though there’s always going to be a lot of different areas to focus on in preseason matchups, there are three specific things that stand out heading into the weekend.
Can Dillon Gabriel push the ball downfield?
First off, it looks like Gabriel will be getting the start this weekend if his hamstring allows it.
We all know he’s effective and fairly efficient at the quick-game stuff, but he has to be able to consistently make downfield throws in Kevin Stefanski’s offense. Those deep play-action “hole” shots are vital to Cleveland’s offense, both as a chunk-yardage option and to keep defenses honest. He’s been kind of inconsistent in that area throughout the summer, and Saturday’s game will be his first test to do it in a live game setting. Gabriel certainly has enough arm strength to do it, but he needs to show a little more touch out there.
I’m also extremely interested to see how he moves in the pocket and if he’ll be able to extend plays like Shedeur Sanders did last weekend.
How Cleveland’s DL performs against Philly’s talented OL
Yes, Cleveland’s defensive line won’t see the Eagles’ top guys for the entire game, but Philadelphia’s offensive line is much better than Carolina’s. The Browns’ defense dominated the Eagles’ offense in joint practices yesterday, and hopefully that carries over into the game on Saturday against a step up in competition.
Dylan Sampson’s overall workload
Sampson was only on the field for 8 total snaps against Carolina, and though he could be seen as the “starter” right now, that was incredibly surprising. Hopefully, he’ll see more playing time this weekend because he needs to show that he can handle a decent workload in a live game setting.
It’s crucial to get Sampson up to speed and ready to go for the regular season, as it looks like he and Jerome Ford will be the main backs until Quinshon Judkins can rejoin the team sometime later in the year.
What else are you going to be keeping an eye on in Saturday’s matchup? Join fellow Browns fans in the comment section below.
Category: General Sports
