The Cleveland Browns will play their second of three preseason constants this upcoming Sunday at home versus the New York Giants. This will be the first chance for Browns fans to get a glimpse of their squad up close and personal in a game situation against another opponent. For the first time in over a year, the Browns will host a game with no fan restrictions in place due to COVID-19. New members of the organization should be looking forward to Sunday as the fanbase is excited and ready to support their team.
Joint Practices
Following a week of joint practices between the Browns and Giants, the two teams are scheduled to face off in another exhibition game this Sunday. Joint practices have become a common practice in the NFL, as teams view them as a terrific way to analyze how offseason preparation is fairing when you have the opportunity to practice versus another team for a few days in a row.
Some news to note leading up to the game includes a season ending torn bicep suffered by linebacker Jacob Phillips. Phillips was entering his second professional season out of LSU, and the injury forced Cleveland to make a roster move by bringing in linebackers Montrel Meander and Willie Harvey Jr. Both players should have an outside chance of cracking the final roster given the injury to Phillips.
Additionally, David Njoku took the first step to reassuring his future in Cleveland by firing his former agent Drew Rosenhaus. Njoku requested a trade last season, and while the request was not met, Njoku seemingly has had a change of heart as he has instructed his new agent to negotiate an extension with the Browns. Winning certainly cures all, as evident by the Njoku situation.
Sunday’s Clash
Looking ahead to Sunday, the Browns will most likely follow a similar script to their first preseason game in terms of who gets to play. At this point it would be shocking to see Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham in this particular contest, as avoiding injury is always paramount during the preseason. As Odell becomes more comfortable on his knee, look for the Browns to ramp up his work right before the regular season begins, as all signs point to Beckham being ready for Week 1 in Kansas City.
For Cleveland, look for Case Keenum and Kyle Lauletta to man the quarterback ship once again. Additionally, Donovan Peoples-Jones will look to continue his offseason momentum against a stingy Giants secondary that includes James Bradberry and former Brown Jabrill Peppers. New York won a majority of their games last season with their defense, as they boasted one of the league’s best overall units. While it has yet to be announced as to New York’s plan for the second preseason game, it can be assumed that after a tough week of joint practices Joe Judge will play it safe with his core group of players.
Kickoff for the Browns and Giants is scheduled for 1pm Sunday.
