Cleveland Browns: What to watch for in the “Replacement Bowl”
By Joel W. Cade
The Cleveland Browns head into their fourth and final preseason exhibition tomorrow night against the Chicago Bears here in Cleveland. This is the final dress rehearsal before the games start to count. Most fans ignore this game, viewing it as the most useless of all four preseason games. However, knowing what to watch for will help the informed fan enjoy what is usually the most exciting game of the preseason.
The fourth preseason game is the “Replacement Bowl.” Some may remember the movie “The Replacements,” starring Keanu Reeves as Shane Falco, a washed up quarterback from Ohio State who never seemed to get his NFL career on track. He and a group of misfit players band together to create a moment of glory that will define their lives. Along the way they learned to bond, line dance and sing Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.”
Likewise, for the Browns and 31 other NFL teams, the fourth preseason game is the night where players who have nothing to lose leave everything on the field. All their dreams and hopes come down to this one game. With all this in mind, let us examine what to watch for in the tomorrow night’s game.
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