5 Winners and 5 Losers From Browns vs. Bills Preseason Game

The Buffalo Bills defeated the Cleveland Browns 31-7 in the second week of preseason. But there are positives to take away.

Aug 22, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) throws a pass to tight end Carsen Ryan (48) during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In a rain-filled “backup bowl” the Cleveland Browns rested their starters against the Buffalo Bills and provided a glimpse of their depth battles that mattered more than score.

Although team wins and losses do not matter in the preseason, here are the winners and losers that do matter. 

Winner, Shedeur Sanders

Head coach Todd Monken said at the beginning of the game “let it rip”  to Sanders before his assumingely last audition prior to a starting quarterback being announced for week one. Sanders looked poised in the first-half. 

On a 4th and 2, the offensive line gave him plenty of time and he hung in the pocket waiting for an open receiver. He eventually got one and delivered a strike for a first down. Sanders again stood in the pocket and waited for a wide-open Luke Floriea for an easy touchdown. Sanders did throw one interception, which was thrown behind the tight end. He ended the day going 9 for 11 for 74 yards with one touchdown and one interception. “Overall today was a pretty good day,” said Sanders. 

Loser, Deshaun Watson

Watson got to play the third quarter and the first drive of the fourth. His first two drives went three and out. The team was moving on his third drive, but he threw into traffic and a little high. The ball hit the receivers hands, but ultimately wound up in the hands of the Bills for an interception. He also overthrew an open Malachi Corley what could have been a big gain,

Winner, Michael Coats Jr.

His defensive back coach described Coats Jr. as a “contact seeker … and is as versatile of a defensive back as he has been around.” Browns Defensive Coordinator, Mike Rutenberg tells his players “way to hunt”, which he describes as “the ball is our oxygen… we need it to live, so we are always just hunting the ball.” Coats Jr. has taken that phrase to heart as he always seemed to be around the ball when he was on the field. 

Loser, running backs

Raheim “Rocket” Sanders averaged 2.6 yards per rush in the first half on 12 carries. Ahmani Marshall averaged 2.3 yards per carry in the third quarter. Both players are competing for the third-string running back and neither separated themselves. 

Winner, Dawand Jones

The massive, oft-injured, tackle got the start at right tackle. He handled the defensive end on almost every play and imposed his big frame on smaller rushers. He is attempting to break through to be a starter and he put together a good game on Saturday. 

Loser, end of the half

Monken has cancelled practices early out of frustration during two-minute drills. The offense got the ball with two minutes left in the half and for the first time in the game, they looked discombobulated. On top of the sloppy play was a holding penalty and the Browns punted without gaining a first down. 

The other side of the ball was not any better. The Bills picked on cornerback Tre Avery for a 37-yard pass. The Bills then scored a touchdown on the next play with multiple missed tackles with 15 seconds left of the half. The Browns are a young team and they have to take a deep breath at the end of halves in order to limit those mistakes. 

Winner,  Mike Hall Jr.

The former Ohio State Buckeye played his first two snaps at defensive end. On the first play he broke through the right tackle and chased Bills’ quarterback Kyle Allen towards the sideline, causing a short throw for a one-yard gain. On the very next play, Hall Jr. used an inside move on the right tackle and got free to record the half’s lone sack.  

Loser, depth

The depth on defense, or lack thereof, was on display versus the Bills. The Browns got outscored 17-0 in the second half. Offensively, the backup offensive lineman KT Levenson gave up the edge on a couple of plays and false started twice in the fourth quarter. 

Winner, operations

There were no pre-snap penalties on offense in the first three quarters for the Browns. Monken has been preaching about using the quarterback’s cadence to cause penalties on the defense. The Bills jumped offsides twice.   

Loser, the coin toss

Sanders was named a captain for the game. He thought he was called captain because he was the starter for this week. Sanders did not realize he would represent the team at mid-field for the coin toss. “I didn’t know I was captain of the coin toss… it was a laughing moment with coach Monken,” Sanders said on the sideline. 

The Browns play their final preseason game on Thursday, August 27 at 8:00 P.M.