FYI - next Browns game @ Detroit 5pm ET - will be BROADCAST LIVE on the NFL NETWORK

[Shep]

Some interesting things to watch:

- Steve D. brought up that Watson and Moore are getting more separation from linebackers than Mo and Robo are from corners. He thinks the offense might take on some unusual looks because of that, the nice stable of backs, and our Wildcat potential.

I think speed at WR is a given for next season. I'll be watching to see if our WRs (those two, Stuckey, and Cribbs) can get open.

- Can Hillis keep cutting into the carry pie? It was assumed that Harrison and Hardesty would be the platoon. Might be three-headed now.

- Can we get to the quarterback? I know we don't want to "show too much," but we need the practice and we haven't held back on blitzes so far. We just haven't gotten there.

- The right side of the OL. Can we settle in with Lauvao and Pashos? I'll be watching for both rushing yards and pass rush heat on that side. Pashos slimmed down to get nimbler.

- Can Delhomme put a pretty bow on his very nice preseason with extended exposure? It would certainly up expectations.

[BernietheKid]

Browns-Lions: Don's Game Preview
Lions WR Calvin Johnson		By Don Delco OBR Reporter Posted Aug 28, 2010 | More Before heading to Ford Field, Don Delco takes a look at the game's key sub-plots...
Nothing begs more for a nationally televised audience than the 2010 Great Lakes Classic. At 5 p.m. Saturday, the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions pre-season game at Ford Field will be shown locally on WKYC-TV 3, as well as live on the NFL Network. The nationally televised game is good timing for the millions of out-of-town Browns fans. This week, Browns coach Eric Mangini said the starters would play into the third quarter. The third preseason game is generally known as an annual "dress rehearsal". With two preseason games in the books, the sample size is growing. Yet Saturday’s game should provide a clear idea as what to expect from the 2010 Cleveland Browns. Below are some key areas to watch as the Browns look to win their second consecutive Great Lakes Classic. Cleveland won 27-10 last season: First-Half QB Success: Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace have each seen time with the Browns’ first team offense in the first two preseason games. Combined, the duo is 27-for-40 passing for 332 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. It may be preseason, but it is encouraging to see positive numbers from Browns quarterbacks. Delhomme will start, but Wallace is expected to contribute. Saturday’s game will be the longest these two will see the field until the opener Sept. 12. After a strong opening-week performance by Delhomme, he struggled with snaps in last week’s soggy game against St. Louis. Still, he threw a touchdown pass. Meanwhile, Wallace also had an up-and-down game with a touchdown pass and an interception against the Rams. The Browns top two quarterbacks need to display a consistent performance in order to start the regular season on a positive note. It is unlikely either quarterback will see much playing time against the preseason finale Sept. 2 at home against Chicago. “I feel very good about what we are doing and how we are doing it,” Delhomme said. “We certainly started slowly the other day. Weather or not, it doesn’t matter, they had to play in it also. We are looking forward to trying to start fast. I know that’s something that Detroit has done the first two preseason games extremely well. They started extremely fast, I know on defense that’s for sure. We are going to have to step up and meet that challenge.” Second-Half QB Battle: A minor stir was caused this week when speculation began on the future of rookie quarterback Colt McCoy. Could he get cut? Neither McCoy nor Brett Ratliff is expected to see much time in Saturday’s game. Their battle will be held against the Bears on Thursday. So how many quarterbacks are the Browns thinking of keeping? “That’s something that we will talk about as the cuts get closer,” Mangini said. “Like I said, I’ve kept four as a head coach and have been on teams that have kept four as an assistant coach. I have also been on two.” Right Side Redemption: Browns offensive tackle Tony Pashos has returned from injury. Last week, injuries to Pashos and Floyd Womack and a family emergency for Shawn Lauavo forced the Browns to dig deep to fill out five linemen. Pashos (RT) and Lauvao (RG) are back and will play Saturday. “I thought the guys did a good job last week,” Delhomme said. “John (St. Clair) missed some practice time, came in and did a good job. Billy Yates stepped in and did fine too. I think it’s a good collection of guys that we do have. Competition brings out the best in all of us. It was nice to get Tony (Pashos) back out there and to get Shawn (Lauvao) back because he is someone who has really shown a lot of promise so far.” The Browns offensive line will get a test against an improved Lions defensive front highlighted by second overall pick Ndamukong Suh (DT), free agent signee Kyle Vanden Bosch (DE) and former Browns defensive tackle Corey Williams. Run Stuffing D?: The last two seasons, the Browns’ run defense allowed about 152 and 144 yards a game, respectively. In two preseason games, the Browns defense is allowing an NFL ninth-best 81.5 yards rushing per game. “I think it’s a step in the right direction for everyone’s confidence defensively,” Browns linebacker Scott Fujita said. “You have to stop the run in this game to be successful, so we are going to keep working to improve that.” This week, Lions coach Jim Schwartz appeared on Detroit’s WBBL to discuss, among other things, the Lions’ running back situation. Last April, Detroit drafted Cal’s Jahvid Best in the second round joining last year’s starters Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris. In addition, Aaron Brown, DeDe Dorsey and Jerome Felton have seen reps. "There's just a lot of different flavors back there, and they're all sort of trying to find a role,” Schwartz told WBBL. “And we're trying to figure out what the best use of all those guys is. So, yeah, it's going to come down the wire with the running backs." In two games, the Lions are averaging 4.3 yards per carry, led by the rookie Best (14 carries for 78 yards for a 5.6 average). Browns secondary vs. Calvin Johnson: Two weeks after the Browns’ young secondary got an introductory lesson against one of the best aerial assaults in the NFL, rookie cornerback Joe Haden and rookie safety T.J. Ward will face one of the best wide receivers in the game. Detroit’s Calvin Johnson does not receive the same publicity as his compatriots, but his stats are impressive nonetheless. In three seasons, Johnson has 193 catches for 3,071 yards and 21 yards. Oddly enough, his best season was the same season the Lions went 0-16. In 2008, Johnson caught 78 balls for 1,331 yards and 12 touchdowns. “I think not just Calvin Johnson really,” Mangini said. “ (Nate) Burleson is really an accomplished receiver. Bryant Johnson, they have got some weapons in that group, I think that they have improved that group. Add (Tony) Scheffler, I think he can do some things as a receiving tight end. (Brandon) Pettigrew had 33 catches last year. He is a big-body tight end that has really good hands and they do a lot of different things with him. I think with (Matt) Stafford, he’s at 72 percent completion. When he has time, he is very efficient. I’m looking forward to seeing how we do against their group.” Scout.com: Browns-Lions: Don's Game Preview

[Dan in Florida]

I posted game links in the CHATBOX

[Shep]

By the way, I'll reply to myself on this list tomorrow (football event tonight immediately after the game, then parents partying together).

Originally Posted by Shep

Some interesting things to watch:

- Steve D. brought up that Watson and Moore are getting more separation from linebackers than Mo and Robo are from corners. He thinks the offense might take on some unusual looks because of that, the nice stable of backs, and our Wildcat potential.

I think speed at WR is a given for next season. I'll be watching to see if our WRs (those two, Stuckey, and Cribbs) can get open.

- Can Hillis keep cutting into the carry pie? It was assumed that Harrison and Hardesty would be the platoon. Might be three-headed now.

- Can we get to the quarterback? I know we don't want to "show too much," but we need the practice and we haven't held back on blitzes so far. We just haven't gotten there.

- The right side of the OL. Can we settle in with Lauvao and Pashos? I'll be watching for both rushing yards and pass rush heat on that side. Pashos slimmed down to get nimbler.

- Can Delhomme put a pretty bow on his very nice preseason with extended exposure? It would certainly up expectations.

[Dan in Florida]

Many good links (if you don't have NFL Network or Channel 3 in Cleveland)
Including nice HQ
Links are in the CHATBOX

GO BROWNS!

[Farang]

The game is blacked out in the Toledo area but will be shown at 9:00 on Ch. 24(NBC).

[NDneighbor]

Did anyone get the NFLnetwork to work for them?

All I got was a Gametrax type thing similar to what foxsports has.

Was the game actually supposed to be playing live?

I ended up using streamtorrent to see a stream.

[WVBrownsfan]

According to the NFL network schedule, tonight's game will only be rebroadcast once this week on Wed. at 7:00 AM EST.