Patriots vs. Browns: A Full Breakdown of the Roster Battles Deciding Preseason’s Final Game

Preseason finales rarely draw much national attention, but Thursday’s matchup between the Patriots and Browns at Huntington Bank Field carries plenty of weight for the men trying to hang onto a roster spot. Kickoff is 8:00 p.m. ET, streaming on Prime Video, and with cutdown day looming this weekend, nearly every snap will double as a job interview.

New England is 1-0-1 through two preseason games, salvaging a tie against Indianapolis before beating Philadelphia 24-21. Cleveland sits at 0-2, having been outscored 65-17 in losses to Chicago and Buffalo. Both teams have already ruled out the bulk of their household names for this one, which means the roster bubble is the entire story.

A Deep Look at Where Each Roster Stands

Cleveland’s biggest offseason storyline, the quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, is technically over. Head coach Todd Monken has already named Watson the Week 1 starter, and neither he nor Sanders is expected to play Thursday. That leaves the entire night in the hands of Dillon Gabriel, a third-round pick from a year ago, and rookie sixth-rounder Taylen Green, both of whom are fighting to even make the 53-man roster behind Watson and Sanders.

Where the Real Battles Are Being Won or Lost

Beyond the quarterback room, Cleveland has several positions still up for grabs. The Browns appear set at the top of their secondary with cornerbacks Denzel Ward, Tyson Campbell and Myles Harden, plus safeties Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, but the final defensive back spots are contested between Christopher Edmonds, Donovan McMillon and veteran Daniel Thomas. Linebacker Nathaniel Watson and undrafted edge rushers Khordae Sydnor and Logan Fano round out a group of Browns hopefuls who need a clean, productive night to survive final cuts.

New England’s roster crunch looks different but is every bit as real. The receiver room is arguably the deepest it has been in nearly two decades, with seven players — A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism III — all looking roster-worthy for what may be only six openings. Up front, Marcus Bryant and rookie Dametrious Crownover are battling for a swing tackle job, and the third running back spot behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson remains unsettled among Terrell Jennings, Lan Larison, Jam Miller and recently signed veteran Hassan Haskins.

The Backup Quarterbacks Carrying the Night

New England’s own quarterback room behind Drake Maye has quietly been one of the better stories of camp. Tommy DeVito connected with Kyle Williams on a 69-yard touchdown against the Eagles, and rookie Behren Morton followed that up by leading the game-winning drive in the same contest, finishing 13-of-17 for 129 yards. Both are expected to see extended action again Thursday as the Patriots try to settle the pecking order behind Maye before cuts.

That contrast matters on the scoreboard. Cleveland’s offense managed just 17 combined points across its first two preseason games, and turning to Gabriel and Green for a full 60 minutes against a Patriots defense still auditioning its own depth pieces does not project to be an easy path to points.

Prediction and Best Bet

Given New England’s clear advantage in backup quarterback execution and a defense that has forced its share of takeaways this summer, the Patriots look like the safer side to close out the preseason.

• Prediction: Patriots 21, Browns 13
• Best Bet: Patriots on the moneyline

Cleveland simply has not found answers on offense through two preseason games, and with its top two quarterbacks sidelined again, there is little reason to expect that changes before the games start counting.