3 Big storylines in the Cleveland Browns preseason finale

Three down, one to go. The Cleveland Browns head to Kansas City to wrap up their preseason schedule this Saturday. With a buffer week in between the preseason finale and the start of the regular season, the first quarter should resemble an actual NFL football game.

But after the starters exit the game, the real drama will unfold on Saturday. Each team enters the glorified practice with 90 players on their roster, and for many this will be the last time they play professional football.

By 4:30 the following Tuesday, each NFL team must be whittled down to 53 players. Expect the players that are fighting for their football lives not to go gently into the night.

Here are three big storylines to monitor during the Browns preseason finale

Browns big storyline No. 1: Are the starters primed for September 10th?

Head coach Kevin Stefanski said that the plan on Saturday is for the starters to see around 25 snaps. Stefanski also said that he will most likely hold some of the starters out of action against the Chiefs. This is just an educated guess, but don't expect to see Myles Garrett, Nick Chubb, or Joel Bitonio on the field after warmups.

But for the remaining starters, this will be the full dress rehearsal for the season opener on September 10th. For the offense this means that the starters will see roughly just over one quarter of action. What do they need to accomplish in their 25 snaps?

The first thing that the offense needs to display is efficiency; from getting the play in, getting in and out of the huddle quickly, to diagnosing blocking assignments, and getting the ball snapped. These are basic things that get taken for granted, but without efficiency in those areas’ success is nearly impossible.

The second thing the offense needs to demonstrate is the ability to execute. On some plays, that might even mean throwing the ball out of bounds. But for the most part, it comes down to Deshaun Watson’s ability to read the defense and get the ball to his playmakers.

Of course, you would like to see Watson lead a couple of touchdown drives on Saturday. But in the end, as long as he is decisive, making the correct reads, and accurate, then you should feel good about where the offense is at heading into the regular season.

Defensively, the Browns just need to play fast and fundamentally sound. You want to see players rallying to the football and playing with palpable energy. Luckily, those are all trademarks of Jim Schwartz’ defenses.

What the Browns defense can not afford is communication errors. As long as the defense is flying around and competing, then there should be no concern heading into their matchup with Cincinnati.