Cleveland Browns: 5 things to watch for vs. Tampa Bay

The Cleveland Browns will show off their starters for longer in the third preseason game when they travel to Tampa Bay on Saturday.

It has been an eventful week for a Cleveland Browns organization still searching for answers. The drama at the quarterback position has taken yet another turn, as rookie DeShone Kizer has named the starter over veteran Brock Osweiler for tonight’s third preseason game.

The Browns also have a quick turn around, going from Monday’s 10-6 victory over the New York Giants to Tampa, Fla., where they will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tonight at 7:30. With a travel day necessary, this left Cleveland with just three full days of practice this week. That’s three days to adjust to the new quarterback situation, as well as prepare for what is generally considered the most important preseason game.

It is a challenge for the Browns, but maybe it’s exactly what they need. A little bit of a sense of urgency will give fans a taste of how their young team handles a truly difficult situation. And Saturday will be quite a difficult situation, considering the surrounding circumstances.

So, with all of this in mind, this is what fans should be keeping a close eye out for when the Browns take on the Buccaneers.

DeShone Kizer

What’s new? The quarterback position is always going to cause the most controversy, and rightfully so. It is a very big deal that the Browns made their decision this week, and it won’t bode well for them if Kizer doesn’t deliver.

A good goal for the rookie out of Notre Dame coming into this one is to slow down the game with the first-team offense and build confidence. Whether this means just moving the ball methodically down the field, or taking some shots deep, Kizer has to discover his comfort zone, venture outside of it but, ultimately, return to it. This is a whole different animal with the first-team offense, but one that the coaching staff is apparently confident in Kizer to handle.

So it’s quite alright to be watching Kizer on Saturday night. And if all of the hype is legitimate, fans will be able to tell.

Any production from the running game?

Where has the running game been with the first-team offense this entire preseason? Lost in all of the quarterback drama, for one thing, but also pretty much completely nonexistent statistically. Of course, it didn’t help that Isaiah Crowell was out last week, and that Duke Johnson has been limited due to a possible position change.

Regardless, the Browns must find their stride in the rushing attack if they wish to make this contest a success offensively. Eventually, fans will be able to tell that they aren’t moving the ball on the ground, and their lack of production will come back to haunt them.

The solution? Eliminate all doubt with a strong running game on Saturday, and show everyone that this starting offense can do it, and that Matthew Dayes really shouldn’t be promoted to starting running back.

Front seven rotation

In the defense run by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the Browns won’t exactly have starters, but will have more of a rotation of defenders in order to keep the unit as fresh as possible. In the context of a preseason game for a squad with some tight competition on the defense side of the ball, this poses two questions. One, how does the rotation look coming in? And two, will it look any different following the trip to Tampa?

This game won’t decide roster spots as much as it will decide playing time. Since the starters will play longest in the third exhibition, the coaches will get their best look yet at extended reps against an actual opponent. This is valuable enough to make or break a player when it comes to key decisions of where they fit in the rotation.

Especially with the front seven, a lot is on the line. Players to watch out for include Carl Nassib, Jamie Meder, Trevon Coley and Joe Schobert. How they perform will go a long way in determining how often they are seen on the field during the regular season.

Veterans in the secondary

As they should have, Cleveland made it a priority this offseason to improve an inexperienced and beat up secondary from 2016. As all of football is aware of, they did this partially by drafting the electric Jabrill Peppers, who has shown just how explosive he can be already this preseason. But as many overlook, the Browns also took to free agency in an attempt to address this problem, bringing in cornerback Jason McCourty and safety Calvin Pryor.

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The only problem is, both players have been a shell of their previous selves so far, and the Browns have them both on the second team on their unofficial depth chart. Pryor especially has underperformed causing controversy of whether or not he should even make the final roster.

A lot of these struggles could be corrected with a strong performance tonight, showing fans and coaches that the veterans are the true leaders of this secondary, and that there can indeed be major improvement in 2017.

Surprise depth chart risers?

Just because there aren’t many spots up for grabs doesn’t mean that a player or two much lower on the depth chart can’t shoot up and surprisingly take a roster spot. These final two exhibition games often include moments like these.

It was Isaiah Crowell who got his opportunity in 2014 with a fourth quarter of a lifetime in the final  preseason game against the Chicago Bears. Even quarterback Brian Hoyer played in the fourth quarter of preseason games the year he ended up starting and winning three consecutive games.

Next: Browns vs. Bucs: How to watch, listen to the game

Whether it’s Rasheed Bailey or Najee Murray, fans should take note of who shines on either side of the ball late in the game. As has been the case in the past, it is realistic that these players could rise quickly and see a lot of playing time during the regular season.