5 Things To Watch In Browns Week 2 Preseason Matchup With Vikings

After hosting the Vikings for two days of joint practices the Cleveland Browns will go head-to-hear with Minnesota in their second preseason game

Cleveland Browns guard Zak Zinter (70) blocks Green Bay Packers defensive end Spencer Waege (64) as Cleveland Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (17) passes during the second half of an NFL preseason football game at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings went head-to-head at joint practices this week. Now they'll square off on the lakefront at Cleveland Browns Stadium for a Week 2 of the preseason.

Given the work that was put in during the week between the two teams starting units, this game will be a showcase of roster bubble players hoping to cement their place on the respective 53-man rosters. That doesn't mean there won't be plenty to watch.

Here are five things to keep an eye on during the Browns second preseason game.

1) Dorian Thompson-Robinson

Kevin Stefanski announced his plans at quarterback earlier in the week with DTR slated to start the game for Cleveland before passing things off to Tyler Huntley in the second half. Thompson-Robinson played a tremendous game last weekend, going 14-of-18 for 134 yards in the 23-10 loss to the Packers, firmly cementing himself as the No. 3 quarterback on the roster at the moment. The battle between himself and Huntley isn't over, but another standout performance from the 2023 fifth-round pick could make Huntley a moveable asset by roster cutdown day on Aug. 27.

2) Myles Harden

The rookie had a stellar week of joint practices with the Vikings and now looks to carry that momentum into a preseason game against them. In Week 1 of the preseason Harden snared five combined tackles and broke up one pass. The Browns have a wealth of depth at the cornerback position right now so anything Harden can do to stand out and put himself in better position to earn a roster spot, the better.

3) Aidan Robbins

A fumble on the opening drive of the second half against Green Bay got John Kelly Jr. waived this week, paving the way for Robbins to see even more work in Week 2 of the preseason. The undrafted rookie scored the only touchdown for the Browns last week, but didn't have a great game overall notching five carries for six yards. It's a small sample size though and this week he'll certainly have a heavier workload.

The Browns running back room is obviously extremely deep as is, so Robbins is on the outside looking in no matter what happens Saturday. That said, Robbins can make a name for himself in a game like this against Minnesota.

4) Jameis Winston Pregame Speech

Last week's speech was epic, of course. There's no telling what he has in store for this week but whatever it is, it's bound to go viral all over again.

Jameis Winston’s pregame speech 🔥 pic.twitter.com/k8KXEi6KmA

— SN Ohio (@SN_Ohio) August 10, 2024

5) Jamari Thrash

Since the Packers game last Saturday, Thrash has had a pretty solid week. In that preseason opener the rookie snagged three receptions for 43 yards. He seemed to really have some chemistry with Thompson-Robinson in particular. The connection should make for an exciting first half with those two on the field together.

Like the cornerback rook, the wide receiver room is also very deep at the moment. Thrash is in the mix with a handful of guys for one of the final wide receiver spots. Perhaps the Browns are destined to keep seven this year with an offense more rooted in 11-personnel. Either way, every good performance by Thrash goes a long way towards solidifying a spot on the 53.