CLEVELAND — The opener that matters for the Browns is still nearly a month away. However, Saturday's 23-10 preseason-opening loss to the Green Bay Packers still carried some weight, at least as much as an exhibition game can carry.
Both teams played their starters for a series each, at least on offense. Then again, the Browns had a lengthy list of players who didn't play for one reason or another, led by starting quarterback Deshaun Watson .
Jameis Winston started and played one series in Watson's place, completing 4 of 5 passes for 30 yards. The Packers went with starter Jordan Love, who was 2 of 2 for 63 yards and a touchdown.
The Browns were outgained 375-244 by the Packers.
The loss from the game isn't going to ultimately linger too long. However, it should provide at least a baseline of evaluation entering the two most important dates in the preseason next week — the joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday and Thursday.
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Here's how the Browns preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers played out on the lakefront:
Dorian Thompson-Robinson was 14 of 18 for 134 yards for the Browns. He played the entire second half.
The Browns capped a 13-play, 66-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Aidan Robbins with 5:08 remaining. Robbins is a undrafted free agent rookie out of BYU.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson thought he had a 14-yard touchdown pass to Ahmarean Brown. Instead, the score was wiped off the board due to right guard Zak Zinter being ruled downfield.
Zinter was only a couple of short yards downfield on the run-pass option. Still, it was enough to draw the flag.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson used his elusiveness to get away from an on-rushing Green Bay defense and pick up a first down at the Packers 45 early in the fourth quarter. Thompson-Robinson, on fourth and 1, scrambled to the left and leaped over a diving Packer to get to the line to gain
The Browns went with this offensive line on their first full fourth-quarter drive:
- LT: Lorenzo Thompson
- LG: Wyatt Davis
- C: Zack Johnson
- RG: Zak Zinter
- RT: Roy Mbaeteka
The Browns drove to the Packers 11, where they opened the fourth quarter with a third-and-4. They were unsuccessful on that play as the ball short-hopped a diving John Kelly Jr.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson's fourth-down pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage. That gave the Packers the ball back with 14:51 remaining and up 23-3.
Thompson-Robinson has gone 8 of 11 for 72 yards thus far in the game.
The Browns faced a third-and-4 from the Green Bay 11 to open the fourth quarter. They have been outgained 285-174 in total yards over the first three quarters.
Rookie wide receiver Jamari Thrash had three big catches to help the Browns move to the Green Bay 11 as the third quarter expired. The fifth-round pick out of the University of Louisville had 41 yards on those three catches.
The Browns have adjusted their offensive line to look this way midway through the third quarter:
- LT: Germain Ifedi
- LG: Javion Cohen
- C: Zack Johnson
- RG: Wyatt Davis
- RT: Hakeem Adeniji
Anders Carlson pushed the Green Bay lead out to 20 points with a 33-yard field goal with 6:35 remaining in the third quarter.
The Packers went to their third-string quarterback on their second third-quarter possession. Green Bay gave the reins of the offense to rookie Michael Pratt out of Tulane University.
Pratt took over for Sean Clifford, who had replaced starter Jordan Love after one possession. Clifford was 10 of 19 for 111 yards for the Packers.
The injuries to the Browns' defense keep on coming, this time to rookie linebacker Nathaniel Watson. Watson left the game with a quad injury after making a tackle early in the third quarter, and was questionable to return.
The Browns defense, as it was for the preseason opener, had safeties Ronnie Hickman (back) and Vincent Gray (groin) leave in the first half.
Greg Joseph, the second kicker used by the Green Bay Packers in their preseason opener, extended their lead with a 35-yard field goal. That gave the Packers a 20-3 lead just 2:50 into the second half.
The field goal was set up by John Kelly Jr.'s fumble on the Browns' first play.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson took over for the Browns at quarterback to open the third quarter. His possession lasted one play, as his 13-yard pass to John Kelly Jr. ended with Kelly fumbling the ball to the Packers at the Cleveland 38.
Thompson-Robinson replaced Tyler Huntley, who came on after the Browns' first possession for starter Jameis Winston. Huntley was 6 of 9 for 41 yards.
Green Bay added three points as time expired in the first half. Anders Carlson made a 46-yard field goal to give the Packers a 17-3 halftime lead.
Green Bay has outgained the Browns 209-86 in net yards, including 157-54 in net passing yards. The Packers have a 10-5 first-down edge.
The injuries keep on coming for the Browns. This time, safety Vincent Gray was ruled as questionable to return with a groin injury.
Gray is the fourth Browns player to be questionable, at the least, to return in the game.
The Packers added to their lead with a 5-yard run by running back Emmanuel Wilson with 2:48 remaining. The score came on a third-and-1 play, capping a 13-play, 77-yard drive.
The Packers are 1 of 2 on fourth-down tries after Sean Clifford hit Grant DuBose for a 13-yard gain on a fourth-and-3 play from the Green Bay's own 44. They had earlier failed on a fourth-and-1 from their own 46.
Quarterback Tyler Huntley's fourth-down pass attempt to Ahmarean Brown on a fourth-and-4 from the Packers 23 was incomplete, giving the ball back to Green Bay with 9:08 remaining in the second quarter. The play before, officials ruled running back John Kelly Jr. down at that yard line on a play where he looked initially to have potentially gotten out of the defender's grasp and run it in for a touchdown.
The Browns have now missed on two trips onto the Packers' side of the 50. They do have a 55-yard Cade York field goal on another trip.
The Browns suffered a loss to their interior line depth when center Luke Wypler had his right ankle rolled up on during a Tyler Huntley scramble. They immediately immobilized the leg and brought the cart out for the second-year pro.
Zack Johnson came on to replace Wypler, who was the backup to Ethan Pocic.
The Browns announced wide receiver David Bell sustained a quad injury and is questionable to return. The injury occurred on the fourth-and-4 pass play which was called back due to offensive pass interference.
The Browns offensive line to open the second quarter, their third possession, was as followed:
- LT: Hakeem Adeniji
- LG: Javion Cohen
- C: Luke Wypler
- RG: Zak Zinter
- RT: Germain Ifedi
The Browns trailed 7-3 going into the second quarter. They've been outgained 95-33 in total yards.
Cedric Tillman was flagged for offensive pass interference when he put his shoulder into a Packers defensive back on a fourth-and-4 pass play from the Green Bay 40. It negated a 25-yard gain by David Bell on a crossing route pass from Tyler Huntley.
The Browns would end up punting to end the possession.
Jameis Winston's day was done for the Browns at quarterback after one drive. He was replaced on the Browns' second possession by Tyler Huntley, who was signed in the spring after being the Baltimore Ravens' backup.
Winston was 4 of 5 for 30 yards on his one possession.
The Browns made up for the defensive holding by making a defensive stand on fourth-and-1 from the Green Bay 46. The Packers handed the ball to running back A.J. Dillon, who was stuffed by the middle of the Browns defense for no gain.
Cleveland took over at the Packers 46 with 5:37 remaining in the first quarter.
The Browns thought they had a three-and-out on their second defensive possession. However, cornerback Kahlef Hailassie was flagged for defensive holding on the play, giving the Packers a first down.
Jordan Love's day was done after all of three plays. The Packers' starting quarterback was pulled after one series for Sean Clifford.
Love was 2 of 2 for 63 yards and a touchdown on his one drive.
Here's the first 11 players on the field for the Browns offense:
- QB: Jameis Winston
- RB: Jerome Ford
- TE: Jordan Akins
- WR: David Bell
- WR: Cedric Tillman
- WR: Michael Woods II
- LT: James Hudson III
- LG: Javion Cohen
- C: Ethan Pocic
- RG: Wyatt Teller
- RT: Dawand Jones
The Browns announced safety Ronnie Hickman was questionable to return due to a back injury. He suffered the injury on the Packers' long touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks on the first Green Bay possession.
Cade York first kick back in Cleveland Browns Stadium was a success. York kicked a 55-yard field goal from the right hash to pull the Browns within 7-3 of the Packers with 8:46 remaining in the first quarter.
York had been waived by the Browns at the end of the preseason last year. He was re-signed by the team in March.
Pierre Strong Jr. made the most of the first kickoff return opportunity for the Browns. He fielded it on his own 9 and returned it to the Browns 36.
The Packers took a 7-0 lead on a 65-yard Jordan Love-to-Dontayvion Wicks touchdown pass on a third-and-5 play. Wicks simply beat safety Ronnie Hickman on a go route an cruised into the end zone.
Hickman appeared to pull up during the route. He went into the medical tent after the play.
Here's the first 11 players the Browns put out on defense:
- DE: Alex Wright
- DT: Quinton Jefferson
- DT: Maurice Hurst II
- DE: Ogbo Okoronkwo
- LB: Devin Bush
- LB: Mohamoud Diabate
- S: Ronnie Hickman
- S: Grant Delpit
- CB: Kahlef Hailassie
- CB: Martin Emerson Jr.
- S: Rodney McLeod
The much-ballyhooed first kickoff of the preseason ended up being pretty much a dud. Cade York, kicking off for the Browns, booted the ball into the end zone for a touchback.
The Browns won the coin toss and deferred their choice to the second half. The Packers will receive to open the game, and defend the Dawg Pound end of the stadium to start.
The Browns will have a new long snapper, if only for a short time, against the Green Bay Packers. Charley Hughlett, who hasn't missed a regular season or playoff game for the team since 2015, was "a little nicked up" this week and will not play against the Packers.
Bay Village native and West Virginia University product Rex Sunahara was signed on Thursday and will handle the long snapping for at least Saturday's game. Originally signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2020, he has spent time on the practice squads in Miami and Pittsburgh.
The following Browns players won't play against the Packers:
- CB Greg Newsome II
- S Juan Thornhill
- WR Amari Cooper
- WR Jerry Jeudy
- QB Deshaun Watson
- LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
- K Dustin Hopkins
- WR Elijah Moore
- CB Denzel Ward
- RB Nyheim Hines
- RB Nick Chubb
- RB D’Onta Foreman
- CB Cameron Mitchell
- S D’Anthony Bell
- LS Charley Hughlett
- LB Tony Fields II
- LB Jordan Hicks
- G Michael Dunn
- T Jedrick Wills Jr.
- G Joel Bitonio
- T Jack Conklin
- TE David Njoku
- DT Shelby Harris
- DT Dalvin Tomlinson
- DE Myles Garrett
- DE Za’Darius Smith
The Browns will start Jameis Winston in place of Deshaun Watson at quarterback. Head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that on Tuesday.
However, what Stefanski hadn't announced was how the quarterbacks would play out after Winston departed. They finally did so about two hours prior to kickoff.
Here's the Browns' quarterback order against the Packers:
- Jameis Winston
- Tyler Huntley
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson
- TV channel: ABC WEWS-TV (Channel 5)
- Stream: ClevelandBrowns.com , NFL+ and Cleveland Browns mobile app
- Announcers: Chris Rose (play-by-play), Nathan Zegura (analyst) and Aditi Kinkhabwala (sideline reporter).
- The Cleveland Browns Radio Network will carry the game, with Jim Donovan (play-by-play), Je'Rod Cherry (analyst) and Ken Carman (sideline reporter) on the call. Among the affiliates in the Akron-Canton area are WAKR-AM 1590, WONE-FM 97.5, WHBC-AM 1480, WQKT-FM 104.5, WKRK-FM 92.3, WKNR-AM 850 and WNCX-FM 98.5.
- The Cleveland Browns Radio Network's call can also be streamed at Cleveland Browns.com, as well as the Browns' mobile app. It's also available on Sirius XM radio , with channel 225 carrying the Browns' feed.
- The Browns also have a Spanish-language broadcast, with Rafael “Rafa” Hernández-Brito (play-by-play) and Octavio Sequera (analyst) on the call. Games will be streamed on La Mega Cleveland , as well as heard on WNZN-FM 89.1 in Lorain and WVKO-FM 103.1 in Columbus.
- Provided by BetMGM.com ; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:30 a.m. ET Saturday.
- Moneyline (ML): Browns -255 (bet $255 to win $100) | Packers +205 (bet $100 to win $205)
- Against the spread: Browns -5.5 (-110) | Packers +5.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 39.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Saturday's game will be the 26th preseason meeting between the Browns and the Green Bay Packers. The Browns lead the all-time preseason series 24-21. The Packers won the last meeting 17-11 on Aug. 12, 2016, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns vs. Packers instant analysis: Green Bay wins, but DTR impresses
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