CHICAGO ― Todd Monken’s plan for the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears was to see a number of Browns starters for a large percentage of the first half. Most importantly, the coach wanted to see the two quarterbacks competing for the starting job ― Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders ― finally get some live game reps.
To that end, the Browns’ trip to Chicago was a success. The scoreboard result, a 34-10 Bears win, was not.
It’s a tradeoff the Browns and Monken would likely take if it ultimately means wins when it counts. That’s only if the things that went wrong in Chicago get fixed and the things that went right are built upon.
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So what were the big takeaways from the Browns’ first preseason game? Here are four quick ones right as the game concluded.
Deshaun Watson starts out well, has solid 1st game back
It was just one half, and the half didn’t quite end the way it began, but it was an overall positive for Deshaun Watson in his first game since 2024. He completed 10 of his first 11 attempts, with the one being a drop.
The key seemed to be giving Watson some relatively easy throws to make. That allowed him to get into a rhythm, spreading the ball around to six different receivers.
There were some nice throws to Jerry Jeudy on a slant round and Denzel Boston on an out. However, although Monken got the two-minute drill he wanted, by that point it seemed like the Bears had adjusted and started to put the heat on Watson.
Watson got stripped on a sack, as Jamree Kromah beat right tackle Austin Barber. He also dealt with a drop by running back Ahmani Marshall that could’ve potentially extended the two-minute drive.
It was a satisfactory performance for Watson, all things considered. But the joint practice and second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills will be big.
Shedeur Sanders’ 3 drives were adventure, both good and bad
Shedeur Sanders took over in the third quarter, as Monken had said would happen. He came off the bench with a couple of beautiful throws to Gage Larvadain and Luke Floriea that reminded you why the Browns believe in him.
However, after that first drive was stuffed on a fourth-down run inside the Bears 10, things weren’t quite as good for Sanders. Now, it wasn’t all his fault by any stretch, although the final throw of his day certainly was on him.
That throw was a badly overthrown deep ball that safety Beanie Bishop Jr. intercepted. Exactly what the issue was will require some explanation, but it’s the kind of mistake that can’t happen if he wants to beat out Watson.
Still, Sanders was dealt the bad hand in this game of being the QB coming in second. The roles will reverse for the second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.
Browns continue to lose cornerbacks at alarming rate
Expect the Browns to be in the market for cornerback help after two more went down with injuries against Chicago. They lost Michael Coats Jr., who had an interception, to an ankle injury, and Nate Evans left with a quad injury.
Evans actually started opposite Tre Avery at the position. The Browns held out both Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell as a precaution.
The depth issues showed as the game went along and Chicago just picked apart the secondary. The Bears went over 300 passing yards against Cleveland, which would’ve been notable had this been the regular season, since the Browns hadn’t allowed that since Week 7 of the 2023 season.
It will be curious to see if they target veteran or young help at the position.
Spencer Fano gets extended left tackle run
The plan seemed to be to keep Spencer Fano at left tackle for as long as Deshaun Watson was in at quarterback. Fano was the only offensive lineman to play the entire first half.
The rest of the line left after the second series. Fano, though, stayed there until the half.
Fano was, at least on first glimpse, just fine. The one sack of Watson came from the right side, not the left.
It will be interesting to see how it continues to play out going forward, at least in terms of line rotation. Do the starters play even deeper into the game the second time out?
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Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at https://profile.beaconjournal.com/newsletters/browns-insider/
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 4 things that stood out in Browns’ preseason game vs Bears
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
