The Bills and Browns will meet in Week 2 of the NFL preseason, but don’t expect a whole lot of star power on the field Saturday.
Both coaching staffs have already agreed to use their starters heavily during joint practice this week, which leaves the game itself to be handled mostly by young players and backups. That setup makes the betting angle a little trickier, but there’s still a case to be made.
For Cleveland, Deshaun Watson is likely to sit, which should open the door for Shedeur Sanders to see plenty of snaps. Sanders’ first preseason outing was a rough one: he went 6-of-11 for 79 yards and threw an interception. He’ll be looking for a cleaner showing as the quarterback competition in Cleveland rolls on through the rest of the preseason.
The Browns are listed as field-goal favorites, but that number doesn’t sit right here. With both sides expected to lean on depth pieces, the edge doesn’t feel strong enough to justify laying that kind of number. There’s also plenty of reason to doubt any Browns quarterback putting together a big night.
Buffalo, meanwhile, got a steadier performance from Kyle Allen in its first preseason game. He completed 14-of-16 passes for 108 yards, and that kind of efficiency gives the Bills a little more confidence heading into this matchup.
Between the coaching staff and the roster depth, the Bills look like the side more likely to hang around and keep this one within a field goal.
In Other News...
Browns Offense Finally Showed Something Fans Have Been Waiting For
A joint practice against the Bills gave the Browns a chance to measure themselves against another roster, and for once the offense came away with something to build on. Head coach Todd Monken said Cleveland looked like it belonged on the field, a notable step for a group that has spent much of camp trying to find its footing. There were still mistakes and some injuries to sort through, but the overall impression was more encouraging than the usual late-summer noise around an offense still trying to settle in.
The offensive line also showed progress, which matters just as much as any flashier moment in practice because it sets the tone for everything else. Cleveland still has a long way to go before anyone can draw conclusions about the season opener, but this was the kind of day that can hint at a unit starting to mesh. For a Browns team looking for signs of cohesion, it was at least a reminder that the offense may be moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Quarterback Uncertainty Could Put Rival Cutdown Decision In Focus
After the first week of preseason, Cleveland still does not have a clear answer under center for 2026, and that uncertainty is starting to frame everything the Browns do at quarterback. Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson and the rest of the room have all had uneven moments, leaving the team with more questions than answers as the evaluation process continues into the rest of August.
Across the state line, Pittsburghs own quarterback decision has become a subplot worth watching, with Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar all tied to the Steelers roster picture. Howard, a former Ohio State quarterback, made a strong preseason debut and is now the kind of player Cleveland could have in mind if he ends up available, giving the Browns one more possible name to monitor while their own competition remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Quinshon Judkins Injury Should Ease One Big Browns Concern
Quinshon Judkins has been working through a nagging injury during training camp and the preseason, which kept the Browns running back out of practice for stretches at a time. Even so, head coach Todd Monken has framed the absence as precautionary, and the early read is that Cleveland is not dealing with a major setback as it builds toward the start of the season.
For a Browns team that is counting on Judkins to lead the backfield in 2026, that matters. He enters the year as the expected feature back and a player with real fantasy football appeal, so every missed practice naturally draws attention, but the current outlook suggests Cleveland may be able to move past one of its bigger camp concerns without it turning into a season-opening problem. [Read more 🡒]