Cleveland Browns fans got a firsthand look at new head coach Todd Monken and his ongoing quarterback battle on Saturday. And while the 31-7 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills was disappointing, things definitely just got interesting.
Shedeur Sanders navigated an early weather delay and acquitted himself well, leading an 11-play scoring drive on Cleveland’s first possession. Deshaun Watson got the third quarter — and his showing was poor enough to give Monken and company plenty to discuss over the next couple of days.
That and a whole lot more happened on a day that featured mostly second- and third-stringers on both sides. Here were some of the biggest winners and losers from the Browns’ preseason home opener against the Bills.
Cleveland Browns winners and losers from the team's Week 2 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills
Winner No. 1
Shedeur Sanders - QB
If this was Sanders’ final audition for the Browns’ starting quarterback job, he put his best foot forward. He completed his first eight pass attempts, including a 7-yard touchdown pass to Luke Floriea on third-and-goal. He also converted a fourth-and-2 pass to Blake Whiteheart for 16 yards and later found Floriea again for a gain of 23 yards on third-and-15.
Sanders did throw behind Jermaine Terry on a ball that was bobbled by the rookie tight end and intercepted by Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin. But Terry is a roster longshot who probably hasn’t had many quality practice reps with the quarterbacks.
Sanders’ worst possession by far was a two-minute drive that went nowhere, but on balance, the second-year pro played about as well as the coaching staff could have hoped for given the collection of backups he was out there playing with.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders in the first half vs. the Bills (four drives):
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) August 22, 2026
13 dropbacks
9/11 (81.8% completion rate)
74 passing yards (2 rushing yards)
1 TD, 1 INT
87.1 passer rating
1 sack (2 pressures) pic.twitter.com/4O9LLbEb7H
Winner No. 2
Mike Hall Jr. - DL
The Browns have been decimated by injuries along the defensive line, but getting Hall back healthy for this game was a great sign.
Hall showed some versatility in the first half when he lined up on the edge, flashed a quick first step, and dropped quarterback Kyle Allen for a sack. With key starters like Mason Graham, Maliek Collins, and now Alex Wright all dealing with injuries, Hall could step into a big role early in the regular season.
Winner No. 3
Luke Floriea - WR
Floriea was wide open on his touchdown grab, but the best part was in the finer details. He clearly has a strong connection with Sanders, and the two were on the same page as Floriea found space in the back of the end zone and sat on his route to create an easy pitch and catch.
Both of Floriea’s targets came on third down and both produced a conversion (or a score). He’s most likely headed to Cleveland’s practice squad, but he’s the kind of player who’s easy to root for. He’s certainly giving the coaches something to think about on the fringes of the 53-man roster.
Winner No. 4
Donovan McMillon - S
McMillon led the Browns with five solo tackles and made a nice play in the backfield on a short pass to shifty wide receiver Trent Sherfield, dumping him for a loss of 1.
The second-year pro out of Pitt has continued to outplay Chris Edmonds in the battle for one of Cleveland’s depth spots at safety.
Winner No. 5
Kole Wilson - special teams
The undrafted rookie showed some serious juice on a couple of kick returns, averaging 31.0 yards per return with a long of 38. Wilson also handled three punts, gaining 17 yards on one of them.
The Browns’ punt and kick return spots remain unsettled, though first-round wideout KC Concepcion figures to be involved in some fashion. Wilson remains a longshot to make the active roster over guys like Gage Larvadain and Malachi Corley, but he could be a value piece on special teams. He more than looked the part on Saturday.
Loser No. 1
Deshaun Watson - QB
As promised, Watson got the third quarter with the backups — and it was ugly.
His first two drives gained a net of negative-1 yard. He also threw high over the middle for an interception and averaged just 2.9 yards per pass attempt. It was bad enough that Monken decided to keep Watson on the field for a final drive that bled into the fourth quarter, likely looking for him to end on a positive note.
He didn’t. The drive stalled in Bills territory on downs, and those still in the stadium booed Watson and the Browns as they jogged off the field.
Multiple NFL insiders reported Saturday morning that this Bills game would be a “major data point” for Monken and the Browns’ quarterback battle, and Sanders clearly won the day.
Loser No. 2
Zak Zinter - LG
A former third-round draft pick, Zinter is fighting for a roster spot. He didn’t do himself many favors in this one.
He was flagged for two holding penalties on third down pass plays, though only one was accepted. The big one wiped out a 13-yard scramble by Sanders that would have resulted in a first down.
Zinter is a man without a clear role at this point, and he’ll enter the final preseason game firmly on the roster bubble.
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