Browns vs. Buccaneers: Previewing Cleveland's Preseason Week 3 Matchup

The Cleveland Browns travel to Tampa Bay in search of its first preseason win, while the Buccaneers will suit up just five nights after hosting the Cincinnati Bengals at Raymond James Stadium.

The Bucs looked surprisingly sharp against Cincinnati on Monday night, especially in their first-half performance. Jameis Winston, a tenacious front seven and running back Doug Martin gave the team a 23-3 halftime edge.

The Bengals looked helpless, and Andy Dalton looked in postseason form while throwing two interceptions—one returned for a touchdown—and completing just six of his 13 passes for 46 yards.

Being the “dress rehearsal” and only important preseason matchup of the four, Saturday night’s contest could be a strong measuring stick for both organizations. Players who may have been held out for various injuries throughout training camp might make a stronger push to play, and coaches will probably support them.

Will it be the Browns or Bucs who win this battle of perennial losing teams? Both could certainly use the momentum that a strong performance Saturday night would generate leading into the 2015 season.

Location: Raymond James Stadium; Tampa Bay, Florida

Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: WEWS-5 (Cleveland)

News and Notes

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Johnny Manziel’s injury could hinder Josh McCown Saturday night

If Johnny Manziel’s elbow soreness keeps him sidelined for long, the Cleveland Browns have to be especially careful not to expose starter Josh McCown to injury. The last thing they can afford is to lose their starter with only Thad Lewis left on their depth chart.

Coach Mike Pettine said the team will split the game between McCown and Lewis, with Manziel unlikely to play at all, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

To fill the void of missed repetitions in practice, the Browns reportedly scheduled a visit with free-agent quarterback Pat Devlin, according to ESPN's Adam Caplan. The 27-year-old would be a temporary placeholder to eat up those reps while Manziel rests.

It was a long shot before, but it now looks almost certain there won’t be any last-minute Manziel magic to convince the Browns coaching staff to give him the starting nod.

Rookie receiver Vince Mayle is “flying under the radar”

Sometimes, the things we don’t get to see at practice end up being the deciding factors for 53-man roster spots. That could well be the case with Browns rookie receiver Vince Mayle. The limited action we have seen of him included a last-minute dropped pass last week to seal the loss to Buffalo.

In his place, we have seen undrafted rookie Darius Jennings lead the team in receiving yards through two games. Terrelle Pryor is also vying for a roster spot as a player who just recently began the transition from quarterback to the wide receiver position.

Pettine made light of some of the challenges facing Mayle entering the NFL this year.

“We knew it was going to be a steep learning curve from him just coming from the system he played in at Washington State to come into a NFL system,” Pettine said, per Kevin Jones of ClevelandBrowns.com. “West Coast, lot of heavy verbiage, more nuances to their routes. That’s difficult for any wide receiver coming from that spread-type background to step into immediately.”

That, along with his post-rookie minicamp thumb surgery, could be why he looks behind the curve, and both could be attributing to dropped passes. However, Mayle did lead the NCAA in drops with 19 during the 2014 season, so it’s not unreasonable to assume it's a lingering issue.

Latest Injury News

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

As expected, the Cleveland Browns returned several key players to practice in anticipation of their important third preseason game Saturday night. Notables returning to the field include Joe Haden, Duke Johnson, Tashaun Gipson and Terrelle Pryor.

Player	Position	Injury
Justin Gilbert	CB	Hip flexor
Johnny Manziel	QB	Right elbow
Michael Bowie	OL	Shoulder
K’Waun Williams	CB	Abdominal
Connor Shaw	QB	Thumb
Robert Nelson	CB	Hamstring
Jordan Poyer	DB	Concussion
Ishmaa’ily Kitchen	DT	Groin
Barkevious Mingo	OLB	Knee
Luke Lundy	RB	Concussion
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu	DB	Knee
Marlon Moore	WR	Ribs
Randall Telfer	TE	Foot
Glenn Winston	RB	Knee
Karim Barton	OL	Unknown

Johnny Manziel’s flared-up right elbow soreness caused him to miss practice and will likely keep him out of Saturday night’s matchup. So are the Browns concerned about their backup quarterback’s lingering soreness?

"Could he play if it he had to? More than likely but why do that in the preseason?" Pettine said, according to Andrew Gribble of ClevelandBrowns.com. "If this was the regular season, it might be a different story.”

The big news here is Manziel has apparently been dealing with the same soreness in his throwing arm since high school, Pettine told reporters after Wednesday’s practice. According to Gribble, Pettine also said the quarterback underwent an MRI, but no structural damage was discovered. Expect third-stringer Thad Lewis to play the remainder of Saturday night’s game after Josh McCown is pulled from the lineup.

Marlon Moore is still sporting a red non-contact jersey, but rookie fullback Malcolm Johnson had his removed and was a full participant in practice Wednesday, per Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. Moore is fighting for a roster spot, primarily as a special teams ace, so getting on the field and playing meaningful snaps would be ideal for him.

Former No. 8 overall pick Justin Gilbert left the Browns and Buffalo Bills joint practice with a hip injury on August 18. We haven’t seen him on the field since. If you want to see the embattled Browns cornerback, stop by Berea, Ohio, and check out the stationary bike brigade. It’s unlikely he sees any action again this week.

Note: Injury information courtesy of ClevelandBrowns.com.

Key Matchups

Jason Miller/Getty Images

Cleveland Browns defensive backs vs. Tampa Bay wide receivers

A hamstring injury will keep standout sophomore Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans out for the remainder of the preseason. Coach Lovie Smith said the receiver will “probably not play anymore,” per ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas.

Evans lit up the Cleveland Browns last year, totaling 124 yards on seven receptions. He also added two scores, including a go-ahead third-quarter touchdown that nearly changed the outcome.

Missing that type of player is a big letdown for a rookie quarterback who is going up against a Browns secondary that was rated highest in pass coverage in 2014, per Pro Football Focus’ ratings. And the secondary got even better by upgrading departed corner Buster Skrine with former Pro Bowler Tramon Williams.

Jameis Winston will still have two of his three big targets, though. Vincent Jackson and Austin Seferian-Jenkins—both 6’5”—are matchup problems for any secondary.

Can the Browns slow down the aging 32-year-old Jackson and the second-year tight end who has a case of the dropsies?

Browns front seven vs. Bucs rushers

Letting a seemingly revitalized Doug Martin (in a contract year no less) run all over them would be one way to ruin the opportunity to lock down and bully a rookie quarterback. And Winston can move too if he gets space.

Cleveland’s rush defense took some steps last week, albeit against a depleted Buffalo Bills rushing attack playing without any backs who will make their 53-man roster. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor was successful on several runs, though, including a designed read-option he took for 21 yards. Buffalo wasn't able to do much against the Browns, gaining just 40 yards on its other 25 carries.

Setting the edge has been one of the Browns' biggest weaknesses in rush defense. The middle of their unit has clogged up nicely, though, with rookie nose tackle Danny Shelton disrupting rushing lanes or drawing two blockers—making gap integrity a necessity for linebackers.

X-Factor

Associated Press

Browns X-Factor of the Week: Duke Johnson

Cleveland's offensive coaches have been waiting patiently while Duke Johnson’s hamstring healed. Saturday night they’ll get to unleash a player who has been moved around the offense and talked up quite a bit since being selected in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft.

Johnson’s versatility to line up in the backfield or in the slot—where the team was using him some before his injury—makes him a player that opposing teams will have to account for in their game plans. And without any tape heading into Saturday night, Tampa Bay has no idea what to expect.

A common misconception is Johnson’s lack of ability as a three-down rusher. While a Hurricane, he was the team’s lead back for most of his three seasons in college. He also set the school’s all-time rushing yards record, which isn’t a small feat for a school that sent Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee and Edgerrin James to the NFL.

He has a lot to prove, will have the opportunities and has the skills to make a big impact Saturday night.

Prediction: Browns 23, Buccaneers 21

David Richard/Associated Press

The final score won’t be a true indication of the better team, but Cleveland and Tampa Bay can prove something during the first half of Saturday night’s matchup.

Josh McCown left the Buccaneers unceremoniously after signing with the team last offseason. He entered Tampa with much higher expectations than what followed him to Cleveland after posting an abysmal 1-10 record in 11 starts in 2014.

He has always struggled with pressure—he's sustained 148 sacks in 49 starts—but that’s not going to be as big a problem in Cleveland. The Browns have arguably one of the best pass-blocking offensive lines in the NFL.

In this setting against his former suitor, with the Browns needing him to be the guy with Johnny Manziel sitting on the sidelines, he’s in position to make a statement to secure a comfortable hold on the Browns’ quarterback job.

Duke Johnson, Terrelle Pryor and Dwayne Bowe will give Cleveland’s offense the boost it needs to help McCown get in an early groove. Joe Haden and Tashaun Gipson returning to the Browns secondary should provide an edge defensively, which is unfortunate for the Bucs without No. 1 receiver Mike Evans.

Prediction: Browns 23, Buccaneers 21 

Mike Hoag covers the Cleveland Browns for Bleacher Report and is the managing editor of Browns Beat.