The Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns are set to play their preseason game against each other this evening, and it is a game that carries quite a bit of intrigue along with it. Both teams have quarterback competitions ongoing, and both teams have plenty of other players looking to prove themselves and earn roster spots or playing time.
Looking ahead at tonight’s matchup, there are quite a few things to keep an eye on for both teams and fan bases.
Buffalo is going to be starting Tyrod Taylor at the quarterback position, and he has a chance to prove that he should start over both Matt Cassel and E.J. Manuel. All three quarterbacks are capable starters, and head coach Rex Ryan has his hands full with the competition. Taylor has looked extremely good so far, and a big game tonight would help him out in a big way moving forward.
Cleveland is going through the same type of quarterback competition, with both Johnny Manziel and Josh McCown battling things out. Head coach Mike Pettine has said that McCown is his number one quarterback at this point in time, but the 22-year-old Manziel still has a chance to make a comeback. It will take a huge performance from Manziel tonight to make him jump McCown on the depth chart, but it is certainly possible.
Needless to say, this game means a bit more to these two teams than most preseason games do for other teams.
Outside of the quarterback position, there are quite a few other things that both teams are looking to iron out. Ryan and the Bills are still trying to figure out how who will be LeSean McCoy’s primary backup. He is going to be sitting out due to an injury, and could miss a good chunk of time depending on how fast the healing process ends up being.
Percy Harvin and the wide receivers are also looking to figure things out in the second preseason game. Harvin was signed this past offseason in free agency, and the Bills are hoping that he can step up and be a playmaker this season.
As far as the Browns are concerned, they still have to figure out who their starting running back is going to be. Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell are the two front-runners, although rookie Duke Johnson has also made some noise.
Both teams are expected to have solid all-around defenses, but they could both use some work as well. Cleveland is going to need their pass rush to take a big leap forward from last season, while the Bills need to figure out how their secondary is going to look. While there are still a few issues on both defensive units, they are both talented enough to figure things out in the next week or two.
It is always hard to predict preseason games, but taking the Bills in this game would be the smart play. They are the better team from the top of their roster to the bottom.
No matter who ends up winning, both teams will come away from tonight knowing more about who will be their starting quarterback heading into the regular season. That is the most important issue for both franchises, and it will be entertaining to watch on ESPN this evening at eight o’clock eastern time.
