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

The Cleveland Browns and the Chicago Bears will meet at Soldier Field in Chicago on Thursday, though don't expect any big stars for either team to take the field.

After sending out their starters for three quarters their respective "dress rehearsal" games last week, both squads figure to sit their most important players to make sure they have as many of their principles as possible healthy and ready to go when the NFL regular season kicks off next week.

With that being said, let's have a look at the details in play when the Bears and Browns battle this week.

Where: Soldier Field

When: Thursday, September 1st, 8:00 PM ET

Watch: WKYC in Cleveland, CBN/WFLD in Chicago, also streaming online at NFL.com ($9.99 for the preseason package)

Listen: WMMS 100.7 FM and WTAM 1100 AM in Cleveland, WBBM in Chicago 

Browns' Key Addition

The Browns kept relatively quiet in free agency, but improved their defense significantly by picking up Phil Taylor and Jabaal Sheard with their first two selections in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Taylor has something of a dodgy personal history, having run into trouble at Penn State before he ended up at Baylor. Taylor's on-field excellence should help to put those concerns to bed, as his 6'4", 355-pound frame will plug plenty of holes for a defense that was sixth-worst against in the league against the run in 2010.

Cleveland's pass rush was also pretty pitiful with only 29 sacks last season, which makes the addition of the athletic Sheard on the edge that much more crucial to the Browns' success against opposing aerial attacks in 2011.

Bears' Key Addition

Chicago snapped up Marion Barber as a free agent not long after he was cut loose by the Dallas Cowboys. The seventh-year 'back will be expected to take some pressure off Matt Forte and serve as a third-down runner for the Bears this season.

Browns' Biggest Loss

The Browns didn't put up much of a fight in letting Abram Elam join the Cowboys as a free agent. Cleveland will turn to Usama Young, Elam's fellow Kent State alum, to make up for the 79 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and 10 passes defense since vacated by Elam's departure.

Bears' Biggest Loss

There's little doubt that the Bears will regret letting go of long-time center Olin Kreutz. The six-time Pro Bowler had spent his entire career in Chicago before being cut loose this summer, leaving behind a vacuous void at center on the field and in locker room leadership.

What They're Saying

Browns receivers Mohamed Massaquoi and Carlton Mitchell returned to camp this week, giving new head coach Pat Shurmur's offense a boost heading into the regular season. Massaquoi had been held out of practice with a bone chip in his left foot while Mitchell missed the last two weeks while allowing his injured finger to heal.

The Bears, meanwhile, are dealing with a bit of a snafu involving backup running back Chester Taylor. CBS Sports is now reporting that Taylor is still part of the team, putting to rest the rumors that Chicago had released the veteran back on the one hand and asked him to stick around on the other.

Browns Player to Watch

Colt McCoy isn't likely to see much time on the field for the Browns on Thursday, though he will certainly be worth keeping tabs on once the regular season gets underway. The second-year quarterback out of Texas has demonstrated an encouraging command of Cleveland's new offense thus far, leaving team president Mike Holmgren hoping that McCoy will be the franchise signal-caller that the Browns have sought for so long.

Bears Player to Watch

The Bears are hoping Roberto Garza will be able to fill the considerable shoes left behind by Kreutz's departure. If Garza can't hold the fort, look for former Seattle Seahawk Chris Spencer to step in and give it a go.

Key Storyline

Both teams have tough roads aho to reach the top of their respective divisions. The Browns should be improved over last year's 5-11 squad but will be hard-pressed to challenge the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers atop the AFC North. The Bears, meanwhile, will have a tough time defending their NFC North crown from getting snapped up by the Super Bowl-champion Green Bay Packers, not to mention the challenges posed by the much-improved Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings.

Prediction

Bears 20-17 

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