SEATTLE — The biggest question of the preseason was answered hours ago for the Cleveland Browns .
Will quarterback Deshaun Watson play in a game before the regular-season opener or not? The answer, it turns out, will be an emphatic, "No."
The question did at least linger until there was less than 12 hours until kickoff for the Browns' p reseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks . At 1:30 p.m. Eastern, 11-and-a-half hours before kickoff, the word came down that head coach Kevin Stefanski was going with backup Jameis Winston instead of Watson, who is expected to be ready to go for the Sept. 8 regular-season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
Watson joins a list of Browns players who won't be playing that still figures to be lengthy because of injuries. Stefanski said that all the starters who could play were likely tp play, so there figures to be several key players on the field for at least a few series.
Follow along here throughout the night — and into Sunday morning — with Browns After Dark from the Pacific Northwest.
The Seahawks almost immediately answered the Browns' big play touchdown with one of their own. However, Sam Howell's 73-yard touchdown pass to Cody White was negated by a holding call on guard Christian Haynes.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson showed off the arm in finding rookie Jamari Thrash for a 46-yard touchdown on a post pattern. Dustin Hopkins' point-after kick made it 14-10 Seattle with 10:31.
Thompson-Robinson stood in and took a shot from two Seahawks immediately after he threw the ball.
Kenny McIntosh pushed the Seattle Seahawks' lead out to 14-3 with 11:42 remaining in the second quarter. McIntosh had a 56-yard touchdown run, one in which he unleashed a nasty stiff-arm on Browns safety Chase Williams to complete the run.
Dustin Hopkins was good from 37 yards on his first field goal try of the preseason. The kick, from the right hash, pulled the Browns within 7-3 with 13:12 remaining in the second quarter.
The Browns announced it is a rib injury for running back D'Onta Foreman. However, his return is questionable for the game.
D'Onta Foreman was down for a moment before walking gingerly to the locker room with the aid of the Browns medical staff following a 3-yard run early in the second quarter in which he took a big shot from defensive tackle Kyon Barrs. There's been no immediate word on the injury.
Foreman had dealt with a scary injury to his head/neck area on the next to last day the Browns were in West Virginia in early August. He was taken by helicopter to a Roanoke, Va., hospital, but returned to the team that same day.
The Browns led in several statistical categories, but not on the scoreboard after the first quarter. They had an 18-8 play edge, which led to a 94-67 total yards advantage after 15 minutes.
The Browns have started to take some of the regulars out to open their third possession with 1:55 remaining in the first quarter. Dorian Thompson-Robinson has also replaced Jameis Winston at quarterback.
Also in on this series are Nick Harris at center and Javion Cohen at right guard. Dawand Jones remains at right tackle, while Zak Zinter (left guard) and Germain Ifedi (left tackle) also stay in the game.
Winston was 6 of 9 for 63 yards with an 86.8 passer rating in his two possessions.
The Browns' promising second possession ended with an incompletion and no points. On fourth and 2 from the Seahawks' 12, quarterback Jameis Winston's pass to Jamari Thrash on a corner route was just too long and fell incomplete.
Winston was 5 of 7 for 55 yards on the possession. He's 6 of 9 for 63 yards through two possessions.
Second-year wide receiver Cedric Tillman was a big part of the Browns' second offensive possession. Tillman had three catches for 48 yards, including a big 19-yard catch on third down to the Seattle 20.
The Seahawks marched right down the field and took a 7-0 lead with 9:50 remaining in the first quarter. The score came when quarterback Geno Smith hit DK Metcalf for a 21-yard touchdown on a fade route to the left corner of the end zone.
Browns cornerback Justin Hardee Sr. was in coverage, but he fell down on the play. It appeared Metcalf may have pushed him down, but there was no flag.
Smith was 4 of 5 for 62 yards on the drive for Seattle.
Here are the first 11 players the Browns started on defense against the Seahawks:
- LDE: Za'Darius Smith
- DT: Quinton Jefferson
- DT: Shelby Harris
- RDE: Ogbo Okoronwko
- LB: Devin Bush
- LB: Mohamoud Diabate
- Nickel: Cameron Mitchell
- CB: Kahlef Hailassie
- S: Grant Delpit
- S: Juan Thornhill
- CB: Justin Hardee Sr.
The Browns nearly went three and out to open the game. However, quarterback Jameis Winston was hit late by Seattle linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, drawing a roughing the passer flag to extend the drive.
Winston would later be sacked by the Seahawks' Jeremy Reed, forcing a punt. Winston was officially 1 of 2 for 8 yards on the first possession.
Here's the first 11 the Browns put out on offense against the Seattle Seahawks:
- QB: Jameis Winston
- RB: Jerome Ford
- TE: Jordan Akins
- WR: Elijah Moore
- WR: Cedric Tillman
- WR: Jamari Thrash
- LT: Germain Ifedi
- LG: Zak Zinter
- C: Ethan Pocic
- RG: Wyatt Teller
- RT: Dawand Jones
If warmups are any indication, then it will be Dustin Hopkins handling the kicking duties, at least at the start, for the Browns. He capped warmups by kicking the point-after try, a sign he'll make his preseason debut in the preseason finale.
Kicker Dustin Hopkins had not kicked during the Browns' first two preseason games against the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. Stefanski said the reason for that was due to a "minor injury" that he didn't expect to impact the regular season.
The Browns had Cade York kicking in those games, but they traded him to the Washington Commanders on Thursday. The same day, they re-signed Lucas Havrisik to back up Hopkins, at least during the preseason.
Hopkins, though, took part in pregame warmups prior to the finale against Seattle. He knocked in a 58-yard field goal going toward the south end of the stadium, showing that the distance that made him 8 for 8 from 50-plus yards a year ago still exists.
Here's the list of Browns players who are not expected to play in the preseason finale at the Seahawks:
- CB Greg Newsome II
- WR Amari Cooper
- WR Jerry Jeudy
- QB Deshaun Watson
- LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
- S Rodney McLeod
- WR David Bell
- RB Pierre Strong Jr.
- CB Denzel Ward
- RB Nyheim Hines
- CB Martin Emerson Jr.
- RB Nick Chubb
- S Ronnie Hickman
- S D’Anthony Bell
- CB Tony Brown II
- LB Nathaniel Watson
- LB Tony Fields II
- LS Charley Hughlett
- C Luke Wypler
- LB Jordan Hicks
- OT James Hudson III
- G Michael Dunn
- OT Jedrick Wills Jr.
- G Joel Bitonio
- OT Jack Conklin
- TE David Njoku
- DT Maurice Hurst II
- DE Alex Wright
- DT Dalvin Tomlinson
- DE Myles Garrett
Notably not on that list include the following starters/first-unit players: Center Ethan Pocic, wide receiver Elijah Moore, running back Jerome Ford, guard Wyatt Teller, right tackle Dawand Jones, safety Grant Delpit, defensive ends Za'Darius Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo, defensive tackles Quinton Jefferson and Shelby Harris, and kicker Dustin Hopkins. That's not to say all will play, but none have been ruled out 90 minutes before kickoff.
The Browns sent defensive tackle Chris Williams, along with a 2025 seventh-round pick, to the Chicago Bears on Saturday morning. The Browns will receive back a 2025 sixth-round pick from the Bears that was, according to The Athletic's Adam Jahns, originally owned by the Miami Dolphins.
Williams, 26, had been one of the younger defensive linemen who had really popped during the reps he's received. However, his pathway to playing time with the Browns was blocked by a number of older players, as well as Cleveland's second-round pick last April, Mike Hall Jr.
The third-year pro had recorded two solo tackles and two sacks over the course of 45 snaps in two preseason games. He also forced a fumble.
Stefanski and the Browns have withheld the exact nature of most injuries throughout the course of training camp, which is permitted. However, this is the list of players who have not practiced over the course of the last week, including players on either the physically unable to perform (PUP) or non-football injury (NFI) lists.
- TE David Njoku (hasn't practiced since Aug. 15; "sore" was Stefanski's answer)
- DT Maurice Hurst II (hasn't practiced since Aug. 15 with apparent leg injury)
- DT Dalvin Tomlinson (PUP/knee surgery)
- CB Denzel Ward (concussion)
- CB Greg Newsome II (NFI/hamstring surgery)
- OT Jedrick Wills Jr. (PUP/knee surgery last December)
- OT Jack Conklin (PUP/knee surgery last September)
- OT James Hudson III (left second preseason game vs. Minnesota Aug. 17/ankle)
- OT Hakeem Adeniji (left second preseason game vs. Minnesota Aug. 17/ankle/IR)
- OG Michael Dunn (undisclosed)
- RB Pierre Strong Jr. (left practice Wednesday in ambulance/rib contusion)
- RB Nick Chubb (PUP/two knee surgeries last September, November)
- RB Nyheim Hines (NFI/knee surgery last summer)
- S D'Anthony Bell (PUP/shin)
- S Ronnie Hickman (back)
- LB Jordan Hicks (left practice Aug. 4/undisclosed)
- C Luke Wypler (left preseason opener vs. Green Bay Aug. 10/broken ankle/injured reserve)
- LB Nathaniel Watson (left preseason opener vs. Green Bay Aug. 10/quadriceps)
- WR David Bell (left preseason opener vs. Green Bay Aug. 10/quadriceps)
- LS Charley Hughlett (undisclosed)
- K Dustin Hopkins (hasn't kicked all preseason/Stefanski called it "minor injury")
- 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 380 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 5 p.m. ET Saturday.
- Moneyline (ML): Browns +135 (bet $100 to win $135) | Seahawks -160 (bet $160 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Browns +3 (-105) | Seahawks -3 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 36 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Saturday's game will be the first time the Browns and Seattle Seahawks will play a preseason game. It's not the first time the Browns have played a preseason game in Seattle, having played the San Francisco 49ers there on Aug. 10, 1969, a 21-16 Browns win.
It's the first time they've played a preseason game in the Pacific time zone since 1986, when they played at the then-Los Angeles Raiders in the final game of that preseason. They've played three times in the Mountain time zone since then: at Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals in 1989 and 1995, and at the Denver Broncos in 2007.
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 at Seahawks preseason live updates: DTR to Jamari Thrash for big-play TD
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