Browns vs. Panthers: 3 big storylines for Week 1

2. Jacoby Brissett era begins

This will be the first game that counts for Jacoby Brissett as the starting quarterback for the Browns. Cleveland will surely hope that this time, he looks better than he did in the preseason.

Brissett, who will start the first 11 games of the year in place of a suspended Deshaun Watson, was just 13-of-23 with 109 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception in Week 3 against the Chicago Bears. It was really a rough performance and the numbers don’t even detail how shaky the offense looked as a whole.

Of course, this might not be an issue whatsoever. There have been many years where the Browns looked elite in the preseason, only to come out flat in Week 1 — and remain flat through the entire year. With that being said, they might not need to push the panic button, but it would be nice to see Brissett come out and show he has control of the offense.

Brissett won’t be asked to win it all on his own at least, since Cleveland believes they can win with their ground game leading the way. That means the veteran quarterback will simply be asked not to lose it for them. Having said that, he will still need to do enough to force the Panthers to respect the passing game. Can he deliver on that, or will it be another slow start to the season?

How that question gets answered could determine this game.