There won’t be any quarterback surprises from the Cleveland Browns in their Week 2 matchup.
The Browns are sticking with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders as their two active quarterbacks against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Cleveland designated rookie Taylen Green as its emergency third quarterback when it announced its Week 2 inactives Sunday. Watson will make his second consecutive start, with Sanders serving as his primary backup. Dillon Gabriel remains on injured reserve.
That keeps a potential package for Green on hold for another week. Under the emergency quarterback rule, he can enter only if Watson and Sanders are unavailable because of injury or disqualification.
The other Browns inactives are linebacker Justin Jefferson, safety Daniel Thomas, cornerback Toriano Pride Jr., center Parker Brailsford and guard Teven Jenkins.
Jenkins will miss his second straight game with a back injury. Rookie Austin Barber remains in the lineup after Monken said Wednesday that he had played well enough to keep starting even if Jenkins returned.
Cornerback Tyson Campbell is active after entering the weekend questionable with an ankle injury, giving Cleveland an important piece of its secondary against Baker Mayfield.
Browns Still Have Plans to Explore Taylen Green’s Skill Set
The quarterback debate in Cleveland has largely centered on Watson and Sanders. But keeping Green on the 53-man roster created another question about how the Browns might use the position.
The sixth-round pick offers an intriguing option for designed runs, particularly near the goal line or in short-yardage situations. Cleveland lists Green at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, and his 4.36-second speed showed up on a 30-yard scramble against New England in the preseason finale.
Offensive coordinator Travis Switzer acknowledged that potential when asked about Green handling short-yardage, goal-line and fourth-and-one opportunities before the opener.
“He certainly has that skill set,” Switzer said. “You saw the speed when he gets into the open field.”
Monken also entertained using Green in a package before Week 1, while acknowledging the difficulty of dedicating three active spots to quarterbacks. Cleveland ultimately went with Watson and Sanders against Jacksonville.
For now, the interest has yet to translate into a game-day role for Green. The rookie’s tools give the Browns something to develop, but their base offense still needs considerable work.
Browns Must Clean Up Offense With Watson Under Pressure
Adding another quarterback package would seem premature for an offense that struggled to execute its basics in the season opener.
Cleveland’s pre-snap problems compounded a 34-10 loss to Jacksonville. Watson finished with 205 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception, but the Browns did not reach the end zone until the fourth quarter, after the game was out of reach.
“We all got to own that, that’s not a one-player thing, that’s a coaching thing, that’s a playing thing,” Monken said.
Cleveland adjusted its preparation accordingly. Switzer said the Browns shortened the play clock in practice and handled substitutions from the sideline to better replicate game conditions.
The Browns entered Sunday as 8.5-point underdogs. Another poor showing could bring a more consequential quarterback decision. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Cleveland could reassess Watson after its first two games.
Browns Make QB Decision Before Week 2 Kickoff