The Cleveland Browns took on the Buffalo Bills in the second preseason game of this 2026 season. Few starters entered the game, which here at DBN, we have no issue with. All across the league, numerous starters have gotten hurt in live games and ended their season before it began.
Every team in every league at every level needs practice games. Practices are great and are learning sessions, but the live aspect displays which players are getting it, and which players will be handing in their playbooks come August 30.
RELATED: BROWNS VS. BILLS FINAL SCORE
Against Buffalo, Cleveland started their second-team offense. QB Shedeur Sanders took his start, following Deshaun Watson starting the first preseason game.
Basically, the game was a process of Cleveland’s backups against Buffalo’s backup groups. But we learned quite a bit.
Second-teamers are one snap away from being the starter. Look at last year’s offensive line to make this point. One by one, the Week 1 starters ended up on IR. In the final game of the season, it was Week 1 starting LG Joel Bitonio, and backups and practice squad guys. Backups are an integral part of every roster. With these games, the coaching will need to know who to release from the 90 players on the current roster to the 53-man final roster.
So, we looked at the main backups before the third stringers took over and had a fire sale. What did we learn?
Second-team offensive line provides depthThe Browns began the Bills game with this lineup along the offensive line:
- RT Dawand Jones
- RG Austin Barber
- C Luke Wypler
- LG Zak Zinter
- LT LT Leveston
- TE Blake Whiteheart
This group played very well together. That was evidenced in last weekend’s game as well. The best play for this group was on a third-and-15 on Cleveland’s 49-yard line with 7:51 remaining in the first quarter.
Look at the pocket on this TD throw to Floriea:
the second year connection for the TD!#BUFvsCLE on News 5 pic.twitter.com/BntGdJpIAM
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 22, 2026Sanders dropped back to pass out of the shotgun, as Whiteheart and rookie TE Carsen Ryan were set on the left side, Rocket Sanders in the backfield who stayed in at first, with three receivers. Buffalo rushed four.
The pocket was held perfectly the entire time. Sanders had 6.2 seconds before he released, and it appeared he looked at three guys before he found WR Luke Floriea open for 16 yards to the Bills’ 25. Everybody had their man; the running back was able to help chip the left-side defensive end, and Ryan also chipped the opposite EDGE rusher. Zinter at first showed empty, then pushed down to the center to assist Wypler.
Floriea did a drag route from left to right, and the safety was slow to pick him up, so he was open as the receiver on that right side, Tylan Wallace, had taken his man deep and attracted safety help.
The end result was 16 yards, a first down, and the drive kept moving, which ended with seven points. Perfect protection, perfect progressions and throw by Sanders, perfect clear out by the receiver, and a perfect route by Floriea.
On the touchdown pass to Floriea in the first quarter, Sanders had all day to throw without any pressure whatsoever.
Jones looks solid and remains in line to start at either offensive tackle spot if something happens to rookie Spencer Fano (LT) or Tytus Howard (RT). He has those long arms, and no defensive end was able to get close to the backfield because Jones connects with a paw initially and then just keeps pushing deeper and deeper until the defender is beyond the pocket.
The most impressive was Barber. Excellent at pulling, and got out in front of the screen to RB Ahmani Marshallwith 4:53 left in the first quarter that gained 11 yards to Buffalo’s 10. Now, he did miss the tackle on CB Damar Hamlin after he made the interception, but that’s why he plays on the offense.
Zinter has issues. On the screen pass to Marshall, Zinter and Barber released their defenders, then ran down the field as Wypler moved his man out. Barber and Zinter were completely clear and out in front. Barber took the first man he saw, and Zinter just ran down without touching a single man.
Several defenders stood outThere was a Mike Hall sighting. He was lined up as the left outside defensive end, took an inside move on backup OT Jude Bowry and sacked backup QB Kyle Allen for a loss of nine yards.
S Donovan McMillon was everywhere all the time. His motor ran hot in this game. Second on the team in tackles with eight, plus a tackle for loss. He is fighting for that fourth safety spot and is looking like a demon tackler.
LBs Bookie Watson had 10 total tackles while Winston Reid had six. Rookie LB Justin Jefferson was also very active with four tackles. None of these guys are starters, but the punt coverage team needs dependable tacklers as well as good depth to the linebacker room.
CB Tre Avery has tackling issues. Meaning, he misses in the open field. Yeah, that’s a problem.
CB Michael Coats, Jr.is also showing something. After Cleveland tied up the score in the first quarter, kickoff returner Mecole Hardeman found a crease, and it was green grass until Coats nailed him. Four tackles for two quarters of work.
Houston, we have a problemThe Browns have a distinct quarterback problem. And it isn’t going away, and it isn’t improving.
Sanders looked great at times as long as his pocket remained clean. Once he was pressured, he didn’t know what to do next. The interception was a step behind his receiver, backup TE Jermain Terry, who did attempt to catch it as he was turning around, then hit off his arm and into the hands of the defender.
Shedeur + Luke = big-time plays#BUFvsCLE on News 5 and NFL Network pic.twitter.com/fPAPEidymf
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 22, 2026He had a lot of time to survey the field, including one play where he had 6.2 seconds, but keep in mind, this was Buffalo’s second-string defense. Cleveland’s second-string offensive line against the Bills’ second-string defensive line wasn’t a match at all as the Browns dominated them. The big question is: What does Shedeur look like against a first-string defense? Nobody has seen this yet this preseason. That is concerning.
Watson is probably the better of the bunch, which isn’t saying much, but he looked horrific against third-stringers (and his press conference has added more questions). All of us had hopes and dreams that Watson would find that elite status he once had, but he is spent. He used to run often and had strides like a gazelle, but now he lumbers as he leaves the pocket.
Gabriel will most likely be traded before he is potentially waived.
All of the changes made to this Browns offense on the positive side: the new receiver twins, fresh offensive line, Fannin promoted to TE1, and getting Quinshon Judkins back. This offense is on the brink, but the QB situation is going to be the Achilles’ heel all season.
Somebody text Brett Favre and see if he will un-retire again.
What did you learn from Browns-Bills this week?
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