The Cleveland Browns dropped their preseason matchup against the Buffalo Bills, falling 31-7 in a game that kicked off with rain pouring buckets and even faced a lightning delay of over an hour at Huntington Bank Field on August 22, 2026. But for Browns fans, the real story wasn’t just the final score. Second-year QB Shedeur Sanders delivered a highlight reel moment, perfectly tying the game in the first quarter with a strike to Luke Floriea, giving the faithful something to cheer about amidst the chaos.
First Quarter Flashes and Defensive Stands
Things started rough for the Browns. Buffalo received the opening kickoff, and with quarterback Kyle Allen at the helm for the Bills and Cleveland’s defense featuring reserves, a pass interference penalty on Tre Avery in the end zone handed Buffalo a 1st-and-goal from the 1. Cleveland’s defense dug deep, stuffing two straight rushing attempts, but Ray Davis eventually punched it in on 3rd-and-goal to give the Bills a 7-0 lead.
Then it was Sanders’ time to shine. Facing a crucial 4th-and-2 from the Bills’ 41-yard line, the Browns went for it. Sanders took his time, found Blake Whiteheart for a 16-yard gain, and kept the drive alive. Several plays later, on 3rd-and-7 from the 8-yard line, Sanders waited, then fired a strike to Luke Floriea in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, knotting the game at 7-7. That’s the kind of play that gets you hyped, even in August! The defense came up big again on Buffalo’s next drive, with DL Mike Hall notching a sack that stalled their momentum, forcing a punt before the quarter ended.
Finding Floriea and Red Zone Woes
Sanders’ second drive got off to a decent start, picking up one first down before the Browns punted the ball away. Buffalo couldn’t get anything going either, going three-and-out and punting it right back. Sanders then led what looked like another promising drive. He connected with Floriea again, this time for a massive 23-yard gain on 3rd-and-15, moving Cleveland into the red zone. This duo was cooking!
But the drive stalled out on 2nd-and-9 from the Buffalo 19-yard line. Sanders’ pass to Jermaine Terry on a quick slant was a little behind him, and Terry popped it up in the air for S Dama. We don’t have the full context of that play, but you could just feel the air go out of the stadium.
Ultimately, the Bills pulled away for the 31-7 win. While the overall score isn’t what anyone wanted, seeing Sanders make those clutch throws, especially that 4th down conversion and the touchdown to Floriea, gives Browns fans a glimpse of what could be coming. With the preseason winding down, these evaluations are everything. We’ll be watching to see how the team addresses their early game struggles and builds on the few bright spots next time out as preseason wraps up.
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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