Browns vs. Eagles: TV Schedule, Radio, Live Streaming, Game Time and More

When we last saw the Philadelphia Eagles in action, they weren't exactly flying high. In fact, they were on the short end of a 24-14 drubbing at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The final score may say it was a close game, but it was anything but.

Oh well. The Eagles will host the Cleveland Browns, yet another AFC North foe, on Thursday. For them, their third preseason contest will be all about getting back on track with the start of the regular season looming just a couple weeks away.

For the Browns, on the other hand, Thursday's contest will be a chance for them to make a statement. That might seem like a silly thing to say given the fact that we're talking about the preseason, but the Browns have looked pretty decent so far to this point. If they look good against the Eagles too, maybe we should start taking them seriously as legit contenders in a division that is typically ruled by the Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens.

To get a better idea of what we're going to see on Thursday, let's take a moment to dig through a few specifics.

Where: Lincoln Financial Field

When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET

Watch: WKYC in Cleveland, 6 ABC in Philadelphia, streaming online at NFL.com (preseason package now $9.99), live look-ins on NFL Network, replay on NFL Network at 11:00 p.m. ET.

Listen: WMMS 100.7 FM, WTAM 1100 AM, and Sirius 94 in Cleveland; 94WYSP and Sirius 92 in Philadelphia

Browns' Key Addition

It was a relatively quiet offseason for the Browns, so I'm going to go with one of their draftees: defensive tackle Phil Taylor. A 6'4", 335-pound behemoth out of Baylor, Taylor is going to be right in the middle of the Browns' brand new 4-3 defense. His main task will be stopping the run, which is a pretty important charge seeing as how the Browns were one of the worst teams in the NFL when it came to stopping the run in 2010. In a run-heavy division like the AFC North, having Taylor in the mix could pay huge dividends.

Eagles' Key Addition

Write 'em all down on a sheet of paper, close your eyes and point. But right about now, I'm actually inclined to go with Vince Young. He was brought in to back up Michael Vick after the team traded away Kevin Kolb, and he suddenly looks like a pretty important cog after Vick's stinker against the Steelers last week. If Vick's season is derailed by ineffectiveness and/or injury, the Eagles are going to be very glad they signed Young.

Browns' Biggest Loss

This is another tough call, but I'm going to go with Abram Elam, a safety that eloped for the Dallas Cowboys earlier this month. While no means a star along the lines of Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu, Elam was a productive player for the Browns. Especially in 2010, as he racked up 79 tackles and also notched two picks, two forced fumbles and 10 pass deflections. That's the kind of guy you want on you side, but he's gone now. Tough void for the Browns to fill.

Eagles' Biggest Loss

The Browns aren't the only team that had to watch a talented safety wave goodbye. The Eagles watched Quintin Mikell leave for the St. Louis Rams, and with him went 88 tackles, three interceptions and 15 deflections. His absence is already being felt, as the Eagles are still trying to work out some issues at the safety position. More on that in a moment.

What They're Saying

Believe it or not, NFL.com's Michael Lombardi wrote on Monday that the Eagles' loss to the Steelers was a good thing for the Eagles and head coach Andy Reid.

"Playing well in the preseason is important," wrote Lombardi, "but it's more important for a coach to keep his team completely focused on daily improvement. That can be hard to do if the team plays flawlessly in preseason games."

Pretty interesting stuff.

Meanwhile in Cleveland, Tony Grossi of The Plain Dealer passed along word that the final days of training camp have taken their toll on the Browns' quarterbacks. Colt McCoy and others seem to be dealing with dead arms—an ailment that has led to some ugly throws in practice.

The interesting part is that the Browns aren't even dealing with sweltering heat. It's not the temperature, it's the mileage.

Browns Player to Watch

Colt McCoy is the obvious pick here after his three-touchdown performance against the Lions, but I'm going to go with  Peyton Hillis. He had to sit out against the Lions, but the word from Scott Petrak of The Chronicle-Telegram is that Browns head coach Pat Shurmur expects Hillis to be out there on Thursday. It will be fun to watch Hillis square off against Vick, who he defeated in the final of the fan voting to win a spot on the cover of Madden 12.

Eagles Player to Watch

Speaking of Vick, he will also be worth watching. He looked brilliant against the Ravens in Philly's preseason opener, but he definitely needs to rebound from his performance against the Steelers. We may be talking about the preseason, but a three-interception game is never a good thing. If Vick can't be Vick, the Eagles have problems

Also, I'm going to give an honorable mention to rookie middle linebacker Casey Matthews. Clay's brother probably has no business being a starter, but Reid is sticking with him anyway. We shall see if he makes progress against Cleveland.

Matchup to Watch

The reason I wanted to throw Matthews into the equation is because he's going to be a part of the matchup to watch in this game, and that is Hillis vs. Philly's front seven. The guys up front in the Eagles defense make up a unit that is more adept at rushing the passer than it is stopping the run, and that doesn't bode well for them against a bruiser like Hillis. It could be ugly, but it will be a good sign for the Eagles if it's not ugly.

Browns' Position Battle

McCoy is set as the Browns quarterback, but exactly which receiver will be his top target is very much up in the air. Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie have seniority, but rookie receiver Greg Little is arguably the most talented of the bunch. That Massaquoi has been injured to this point has only made the competition more interesting.

Eagles' Position Battle

Remember those safety troubles I mentioned? They are indeed quite troubling.

With Nate Allen still not fully recovered from the knee surgery he had late last year, the word from Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer is that he and new acquisition Jarrad Page are now splitting first-team reps. It sounds like this is an effort to take it easy on Allen, but you have to think it's also a contingency plan of sorts. If Allen can't get the job done, maybe Page can.

Key Storyline

It's all about Vick. While a few eyes out there are undoubtedly going to be on McCoy after his impressive performance against the Lions, the bulk of them are going to be on Vick. When he's at his best, he's probably the most dangerous player in the NFL. When he's at his worst, it's pretty ugly, and the Eagles look that much more human when it happens.

Prediction

Eagles, 28-10