What we learned from Browns' joint practice against Buffalo Bills

BEREA ― The Browns had their couple of hours in the sun with the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 20. At least, their couple of hours under the afternoon sun as they went through the one joint practice they’re going to conduct before a preseason game this weekend.

The Browns and Bills offenses were on adjacent fields for most of the day, save for the final half hour or so when a couple of timed, situational periods were conducted at the end of practice. Browns coach Todd Monken spent the entire day with the Cleveland offense, obviously, as its play-caller.

However, when all was said and done, Monken stepped to the microphone and said it was, for the most part, a job well done.

“God, was that a lot of fun?” Monken said afterward. “Holy s—. It’s fun to compete against someone else. Their guys, our guys, I’ve got a lot of respect for the Bills. It got a little edgy, but not over the top. And that’s exactly what you’re looking for. Guys want to compete, right? They’ve got a lot of pride in the way they perform. I thought our guys — I can only speak to one side, obviously the field I was in, but it was awesome. Commend the Bills and our guys for taking it to the line but not going over the line.”

So what did we learn from the festivities? Here are some quick takeaways after a few hours to absorb everything that went on in what was, really, a very short time period in the grand scheme of training camp.
remains the leader

It feels like the decision on who will start at quarterback is coming sooner rather than later. And “sooner” as in the start of next week heading into the final preseason game Aug. 27 against the New England Patriots.

Deshaun Watson has seemed to the lead the competition for a couple of weeks, although Monken has been quick to always push back on such assumptions. Still, there is some guesswork involved here, and if we’re to operate from that position, Shedeur Sanders needed a big day against the Bills starters ― the ones that practiced, at least ― to bridge any perceived gaps.

That didn’t quite happen. Sanders had good moments and good throws, including a nice two-minute drill in which he had them in position to score, only to have his final pass broken up on a jump ball to rookie Denzel Boston.

Conversely, Watson wasn’t awful, either. His best throw was to rookie KC Concepcion across the middle, but he had others that were like it as well and allowed him to prevent the gap from being closed.

Monken remains committed to the plan that Sanders will start the Aug. 22 preseason game and play a half, and will have Concepcion and Boston at his disposal for at least a strech. Watson will then play the third quarter, while being able to finish out a drive should they be on one when the quarter ends.

on the next field makes for an unfair comparison

You realize how far away the Browns are at quarterback from the top of the league when arguably one of its best quarterbacks is on the very next field slinging it around. Bills star Josh Allen looked the part, and it stood as such a stark contrast to how the Browns once again find themselves searching for answers there.

The Browns defense didn’t have a terrible day against Allen, especially since it’s hard to tell on plays that could’ve been sacks that were allowed to continue on without stopping. Defensive tackle Mason Graham got in Allen’s face to bat a pass down early in an 11-on-11, and defensive end Jared Verse got close to him on a couple of occasions that might have resulted in a sack in a real game.

Allen, though, was in command of the offense and made a collection of throws that were on target. He was most effective during the red-zone period, where the strength of the Bills passing game ― tight ends like Dalton Kincaid and Jackson Hawes, as well as the running backs ― can really create a mismatch.

Of course, Allen also creased the Browns defense, hurt by what looked like an overaggressive play by safety Ronnie Hickman, on the second play of the Bills’ two-minute drill for a 50-plus-yard touchdown to Kincaid. However, he did muff an exchange with running back James Cook on a four-minute clock-killing drill with a fumble that defensive end Isaiah McGuire recovered.
, but running game shows some promise

Running back Quinshon Judkins wasn’t on the field for the second consecutive day. It raised eyebrows, but Monken insisted it was just “a little something nagging. Nothing big, we just held him out.”

That just opened the door for backups Dylan Sampson and Raheim Sanders to jump in and showcase themselves. Both did so throughout the practice, which provided reason to feel good about the run game once it’s fully developed and also includes Judkins.

Sampson was involved in the passing game, as well as some trash talking with Buffalo defense. The former is how the former SEC Offensive Player of the Year could really shine in the offense, similar to the way the Bills use Cook.

Sanders seemed like he may have given ground to Ahmani Marshall in the battle for the No. 3 running back spot when Marshall jumped him in line in the preseason opener in Chicago. However, Sanders had a couple of really impressive runs, including a nice cutback against the Bills that showcased some of the speed that’s earned him the long-time nickname “Rocket.”

Monken wouldn’t go so far as to say it was perfect from his offensive line, specifically the first group. It obviously was good enough with how the Browns ran the ball and gave the quarterbacks at least some time in the pocket.

They rolled out what’s becoming the standard first unit. That meant rookie Spencer Fano and Zion Johnson on the left side, Teven Jenkins and Tytus Howard on the right and Elgton Jenkins at center.

Injuries and some shuffling to figure out starting spots made the line hard to figure out early on in camp. The last week or so, though, is solidifying around those five.

Another week of being able to work together, followed by a final preseason game against the Patriots, will be huge for that group. It’s already obvious what time together on task has done for them.
injury

The true dark cloud that hangs over the practice happened during the only one-on-one period, which was between the offensive and defensive lines while the 7-on-7 period was ongoing. That’s when Browns defensive end Alex Wright went down with a lower right leg injury, the true severity of which remains unknown at this time.

Wright collapsed when the injury initially occurred, but did get up and walk a few steps. The trainers rushed over at that time to help him get to a golf cart, although they put him on the ground for a moment initially before a different cart came and took him into the facility.

It’s a fool’s errand to try to diagnose injuries in the moment. Reading the reactions from his defensive line mates, another thing that may not be the smartest, there wasn’t an overwhelming look of concern you often see when they know it’s a devastating injury.

Any extended absence for Wright in the regular season would be devastating for the Browns defense, which has battled all sorts of injuries along the line while also having tried desperately to bring in more veteran edge rusher help. For now, guys like McGuire, Julian Okwara and Khordae Syndor carry more weight on their shoulders.

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: What we learned from Browns’ joint practice against Buffalo Bills

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