Day 14 of Cleveland Browns training camp on Monday, August 17, kicked off a massive week for their quarterback competition, and head coach Todd Monken isn’t holding anything back. This is where the rubber meets the road, and every player is feeling the heat as they fight for their spot.
Monken laid out a tight plan for the week, with a few regular practice sessions, including today’s grind, leading up to a huge joint practice on Thursday against the Buffalo Bills. This is where it gets real, folks. Monken flat out said if that joint practice goes well, some of the veterans and even certain starters might not even touch the field in Saturday’s preseason game. That’s a big vote of confidence if they execute! But the main event for us fans watching the depth chart is that QB battle. The plan for Saturday against Buffalo is locked in: Shedeur Sanders is getting the keys for the entire first half, Deshaun Watson takes over for the third quarter, and Dillon Gabriel gets his shot to finish it out in the fourth. Every single snap is under the microscope for these guys, and you know they’re feeling the pressure.
On the injury front, some solid news rolled in from Berea. After a killer first preseason game, CB Michael Coats was back on the field for practice, which is huge for that secondary! Also returning to practice were CB Nate Evans, OG Zak Zinter, CB Myles Bryant, and DT Elijah Chatman. We need those guys healthy and hitting their stride! The only new face on the idle list was DE Alex Wright, so hopefully that’s a quick turnaround. Now, let’s talk offense. WR Jerry Jeudy has the talent, we all know it, but he needs to find his rhythm and be consistently effective. Last week, Monken was talking about getting Jeudy the ball on crossing patterns, and guess what? It’s clicking! Shedeur Sanders started team drills today with a sweet crossing play to Jeudy. That’s the kind of synergy we need to see more of; it could be a massive asset. And talk about the defense stepping up! The corners were making moves, with CB Denzel Ward almost snagging a pick early on. Then, absolute chaos as CB Michael Coats, keeping that mid-camp surge alive, went out and *picked off* QB Dillon Gabriel! That play alone makes a strong case for a roster spot. Any whispers about Gabriel being thrown into the starting mix? Yeah, those just evaporated, just like that ball in Coats’ hands. Ward was even seen lamenting his missed interception. Sanders, reflecting on his own earlier interception against the Bears where the ball slipped, was probably wondering what happened on Ward’s miss. You gotta secure those, Denzel!
So, yeah, this is a make-or-break week for the Browns heading into that preseason clash with the Bills. Every single player is fighting for their spot, and that QB competition is front and center. It’s all about proving it on the field, under the bright lights. While all that drama unfolds across the country, our Seahawks just took a tough 17-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. That one stings, no doubt about it. We’ve got to clean things up and come back stronger. The 12s are always here, waiting for that bounce-back game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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