Last week, the Cleveland Browns began their preseason with a 20-14 win over the New Orleans Saints. Browns fans are sufficiently “hype” now, but one must remember; it is only preseason. But now, they’ll continue their home stand with a game against the New York Giants. This could be a fun game for Browns fans, but there’s only one catch: Eli Manning is playing Monday night. Can the Browns capitalize on last Thursday and move to 2-0 on the preseason? If they want a shot at it, here is what they should do. These are the Browns keys to victory for preseason week two.
Cleveland Browns Preseason Week Two Keys to Victory
Keep An Eye On Kizer
Last week, rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer shined on the field with a couple of long touchdown passes. How did coach Hue Jackson reward his performance? By moving Kizer up the depth chart one spot. While he still sits behind the incumbent Brock Osweiler, Kizer is showing vast improvements. Don’t look now, but he could very well be gaining on the “Brock Star.”
Kizer’s first true test will be this Monday against a stout Giants defense. No longer will he be playing in the second half, but right behind Osweiler. Truthfully, this is a much bigger step up for Kizer, and he could be seeing some defensive starters. Especially against a defense like the Giants, this will be a huge change from what the Saints offered. Time will inevitably tell whether or not Kizer can really cut it in the league.
Give Coley a Chance
Recently, Browns fans have been singing the praises of defensive tackle Trevon Coley. And really, it’s easy to see why. Coley has been busting straight through the offensive line for the entirety of training camp now. With the incumbent Danny Shelton now on the injured list, Coley will have a chance to really shine on Monday night.
Coming out of Florida Atlantic University, Trevon Coley has been a blessing in Cleveland. As an undrafted free agent, he came into camp with little to no expectations. And wow, has he really blown the roof off of this Browns training camp. In fact, he was the recipient of one of our Browns Training Camp Awards. It’s a real shame that Shelton is now hurt, but giving Coley a chance here could really work wonders for him. One of the biggest Browns keys to victory this week will be allowing Coley to have extended playing time.
Never Stop Attacking
One thing is for sure; with Eli Manning playing, this Giants offense is very potent. Now, this is both good news and bad news for the Cleveland Browns. Of course, it’s bad because when he really wants to, Manning can carve up any defense, just like his brother, former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning. However, this could be good news too, and it’s definitely one of the Browns keys to victory this week.
This will be the biggest test thus far for Gregg Williams and this Browns defense. If the Browns want their defense to really succeed, they’ll need to win this battle against New York. This is great experience for a young defense like the one the Browns have. Defense wins championships, they always say, and hopefully, it can win two preseason games in a row.
