The Browns are using Thursday night’s preseason finale for what it’s supposed to be: a long look at the guys battling to survive cutdown day.
When Cleveland meets the New England Patriots on Thursday Night on Prime Video, both teams will sit their starters and turn the spotlight over to the bottom of the roster. Even some important backups will stay on the sideline, including backup QB Shedeur Sanders,.
That approach fits the way the NFL now handles the last preseason game. Teams once leaned on a familiar ramp-up - no starters in the opener, a series or two in the second game, a half in the third, then a seat in the fourth. With only three practice games now on the schedule, the final exhibition has become the night when the regulars usually disappear.
Browns head coach Todd Monken said the decision came after he spoke with Coach Mike Vrabel.
“I talked to Coach (Mike) Vrabel; we had talked about initially wanting to play our starters and get them a series or two. They really hadn’t played their guys. But we both felt like we were thin, especially up front on both sides of the ball, and we just felt like we’d be better off not playing our starters in the game Thursday night.”
Cleveland’s preseason setup has given the offense a useful testing ground. The Browns hosted the Buffalo Bills, then played them last weekend, and while few starters actually appeared in the game, the offense and defense did get full-pad work in the weekly scrimmages. That matters for a group that is still finding its way, even if it has a clear advantage in those practice sessions by going against a defense that was ranked No. 4 in the league last season.
At quarterback, Dillon Gabriel will start and play the first half, with sixth-round rookie Taylen Green handling the second half. Green has not taken a snap yet this preseason, so Thursday will be his first real chance to get extended live reps.
Gabriel’s spot on the roster has become a talking point because most NFL teams carry only three quarterbacks. The final cutdown comes Sunday, August 30, and Gabriel could stick with Cleveland or end up on the move.
Monken said the plan for Gabriel is about giving him a fairer look after last week’s game against Buffalo, when he entered in the final quarter with the third-string offense against the Bills’ third-team defense and attempted only one pass.
“We’re not playing them because we’d like to see Dillon (Gabriel) more. It worked out last game, that was unfair to him.
So, in order to do that, to see more of him and see Taylen (Green), there’s just not enough reps. That’s the reason, there’s really nothing else.”
Green’s preseason workload has been limited, and he has yet to throw a pass. He did play sparingly against the Bills, and the staff wants a longer look at how he responds in game action. Monken has viewed him as a developmental player, praising his athletic ability and his running skill while also noting the accuracy issue that still needs work.
“Just trying to see Taylen after he played pretty well in the limited reps he had against the Bills, and we want to see more of Dillon. It just hasn’t worked out trying to get those other guys reps. That’s the reason.”
The Browns still haven’t won a preseason game, but that’s not the point now. This is about evaluation, pressure, and the fight for jobs - the kind of night where the final third of the roster is trying to prove it belongs.
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