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The Cleveland Browns (0-2) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) meet Friday at Raymond James Stadium for a nationally televised preseason exhibition.
Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III will look to carry the momentum from last week’s outing against the Falcons. Griffin completed 6 of 8 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 36 yards on three carries.
No. 15 overall pick Corey Coleman is expected to make his NFL debut tonight. Browns fans are anxious to see Coleman take the field after he was sidelined with a hamstring injury for the last two weeks.
Cleveland wide receiver Josh Gordon is also expected to be in action for the first time this preseason. Gordon was reinstated just three weeks ago after serving a yearlong suspension for multiple violations of the league’s substance abuse policy. He’s not eligible to play in the regular season until Week 5 against the Patriots, after he serves his four-game ban.
The teams shared practice fields this week at One Buc Place in anticipation of tonight’s game. Tampa Bay’s first-year coach Dirk Koetter said the additional reps against the Browns will serve his team well as they prepare for the regular season.
“Cleveland is a 3-4 defense, and we’re going to see like eight 3-4 teams over the course of the year, so two extra days of working against a 3-4 are huge,” Koetter said during a press conference.
“And then they’re a zone-read team on offense. … We need to see zone-read for down the road when we play teams like San Francisco and Seattle and Carolina,” he added. “Each team is a little bit different, but just playing and working against different guys is good.”
Last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Jameis Winston, had a solid preseason debut, however finished last week with lackluster numbers. Winston went 3-of-10 passing last week for just 28 yards. However, a highlight was when he found Mike Evans for a beautiful 4-yard touchdown.
Robert Aguayo, who is the highest-drafted kicker in Bucs history, has struggled in the preseason and is facing mounting pressure in Week 3. Aguayo is the most accurate kicker in college history, and was drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft. However, the rookie has experienced difficulty in his first two preseason games and recent practices. He missed three of his six kicks in a joint practice with the Browns on Tuesday, inducing boos from the crowd. The 22-year-old kicker is now working with a mental coach to get back on track.
Overall, the Bucs are looking to pick up the pace and get off to a faster start tonight. In the first two preseason games against the Jaguars and the Eagles, the Bucs offense did not score until the third possession.
Here’s everything you need to know so you don’t miss Friday’s game:
Browns vs. Buccaneers Viewing Info
Date: Friday, August 26, 2016
Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV Channel: CBS
Line: Buccaneers (-3.5), per OddsShark
Over/Under: 42.5