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Cleveland Browns want better execution, understanding of situational football against Buffalo Bills

The Cleveland Browns want better execution and understanding of situational football against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 of the NFL preseason.
Credit: Matt Florjancic, WKYC Digital Sports
Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson gives out instructions during a drill on the final day of practice in front of fans at training camp in Berea.

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns opened the 2018 preseason with a 20-10 victory over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey last Thursday night, and will continue the exhibition season against the Buffalo Bills at FirstEnergy Stadium tonight.

Despite the win, the Browns admittedly have plenty to work on as the regular season approaches, and the coaches are looking for increased productivity and more efficiency against the Bills, a playoff team from a year ago.

“Let’s see what the second week brings in terms of more execution and understanding situational football,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said after a practice earlier in the week.

“We need to be better at substitutions, getting guys in and out as far as from the sideline. It is Week 2 of the staff being together and understanding what we are trying to accomplish. Those things are important. Obviously, the most important is evaluating the team still.”

Jackson feels quarterback play is and will continue to be the biggest difference between the 2018 team and the 2017 squad that finished the regular season with only the second 0-16 record in NFL history, and he got it from both Tyrod Taylor and Baker Mayfield in the win over the Giants.

Acquired in an offseason trade with the Bills and immediately named the starting quarterback, Taylor, now in his eighth NFL season, completed all five of his passes for 99 yards and one touchdown during his two series against the Giants.

In his NFL preseason debut, Mayfield found the mark with 11 of his 20 attempts, including seven of the last nine throws, for 212 yards and two touchdowns.

Taylor and the Browns’ first-team offense is expected to play more against the Bills, who helped lead to the AFC Playoffs last year.

“Obviously, I want to see them play longer than they played last week -- a quarter or whatever that is, maybe a little longer,” Jackson said of the first-team offense and defense. “It all depends on how it is going. I definitely want them out there longer than eight plays. If the results are touchdowns, we will keep going. We just need to play a little bit more.”

Regardless of how many plays the Browns’ coaches give the first-team players, they are hoping to see an increased sense of urgency and more efficiency in the operation of the game because it will give Jackson and his staff a better evaluation of the talent on the roster.

“There is always urgency anytime we are playing for our players because they are putting something on tape that we get to evaluate and say a guy is not playing as well as he should or we have to do a better job of coaching the players,” Jackson said.

“I think there is urgency all throughout our football team. Obviously, there is competition at some spots, and that is going to sort itself out by the way we play. Guys will play. Next week is the dress-rehearsal game. We will continue to evaluate in that game, as well.”

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