Browns vs. Eagles: 5 matchups to watch in Philadelphia
While it's likely the Browns won't face many of the players that were key to Philadelphia's championship run, the Eagles are an extremely talented team from top to bottom. Backup quarterback Tanner McKee and Philly's second-team offense are coming off an impressive performance in their preseason opener against Cincinnati, and the team bolstered last year's top-ranked defense this offseason by drafting Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell and Texas safety Andrew Mukuba with their top two selections in April's draft.
As the Browns look to build on last weekend's 30-10 win over the Carolina Panthers, they'll be trying out a new quarterback against the Eagles, as rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel is likely to start. Fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders, coming off an admirable debut performance against Carolina, is not expected to play after suffering an oblique injury in practice this week.
With a new quarterback and a matchup against a talented opponent on the horizon, there will be plenty to watch on Saturday. Here are five matchups to keep an eye on when the Browns take on the Eagles:
Diontae Johnson and Jamari Thrash vs. Eagles secondary
The competition for the Browns' third receiver spot in the starting lineup appears to be, at this point, wide open. Johnson, while having plenty of NFL experience under his belt, has seriously struggled with consistency during his six-year NFL career. While Johnson didn't catch either of his targets against the Panthers last weekend, Thrash did catch both of his, albeit only for nine yards in total. Both players played roughly an equal number of snaps against Carolina, with Thrash playing 18 snaps and Johnson playing 16.
The Eagles' secondary, meanwhile, is a deep unit even without 2024 draft picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. The Eagles are in the midst of a competition of their own at the outside corner spot opposite Mitchell, with third-year pro Kelee Ringo and the newly acquired Jakorian Bennett battling. The team also signed former first-round pick Adoree' Jackson this offseason, and added the aforementioned Mukuba to the safety room via the draft. The Eagles' defensive backfield will provide a quality challenge to Johnson and Thrash as they each look to separate themselves in the Browns' receiver room.
Browns' pass rush vs. Eagles offensive line
The Browns' defensive line had an impressive start to the preseason, and they'll get to face a unit coached by one of the NFL's best position coaches in Jeff Stoutland this weekend. Philadelphia selected two tackles in April's draft – Michigan's Myles Hinton and Texas' Cameron Williams – and brought back one of their former draft picks in Matt Pryor earlier this offseason.
The Browns' defensive line, meanwhile, flashed against the Panthers, even without Myles Garrett. Alex Wright recorded a sack in his return to play, and depth players Julian Okwara and Adin Huntington both had standout nights. A unit that might be the Browns' very best will look to stack impressive performances this weekend, and the Browns' top draft pick, Mason Graham, will have an opportunity to build on a strong debut.
Nickel defenders vs. the Eagles' pass-catchers
The Browns' competition to find a starting nickel began to take shape against the Panthers. Veteran Nik Needham recorded a second-half interception on Andy Dalton, while Myles Harden and Cameron Mitchell each played a significant portion of snaps on defense.
The Eagles' receivers will present a formidable challenge for this group. Johnny Wilson caught several contested targets from McKee last week against the Bengals, and undrafted rookie Darius Cooper led the team in every receiving category, hauling in six passes for 82 yards and a touchdown.
After an impressive start to the preseason, a matchup against a decent receiving corps will provide Needham an opportunity to take a real lead in this competition.
Dillon Gabriel vs. the Eagles' defense
Just as fellow rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders took his first NFL snaps against the Panthers, third-round pick Dillon Gabriel will make his preseason debut on Saturday against the Eagles.
Gabriel likely won't be playing against a starting unit like Sanders was, but the Eagles' defense is a deep group; in addition to any aforementioned additions, the team also added former Giants edge rusher Azeez Ojulari in free agency and drafted former Nebraska defensive tackle Ty Robinson in the fourth round in April. With Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett again not expected to play against the Eagles, the Browns should get an extended look at Gabriel like they did with Sanders last week, and getting live in-game reps for another quarterback will be helpful for the Browns as the team gets closer to deciding who will start for them.
Carson Schwesinger vs. the Eagles' run game
The Panthers' top two running backs, Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle, were not efficient against the Browns last Friday. The two picked up just 17 yards on six carries – in part because of the impressive debut of Browns second-round linebacker Carson Schwesinger.
Schwesinger played just 13 snaps against the Panthers and finished the night tied for the team lead in total tackles with six. The rookie showed an impressive ability to quickly get off blocks and stop the run in his limited playing time.
He'll get another opportunity to impress against a talented Eagles backfield that had three different running backs average over five yards per carry in their preseason opener.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns vs. Eagles: 5 matchups to watch in Philadelphia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
a minute ago
- New York Times
Blue Jays reinstate George Springer, option hot-hitting Joey Loperfido
TORONTO — One of baseball's best comeback stories can now continue. George Springer missed the Toronto Blue Jays' past 16 games after suffering a concussion when he was struck by a pitch before the trade deadline. He'd been among the team's best hitters this year and set a standard for the team's focus on small advantages and baserunning fundamentals. Now he's back. The Jays activated Springer ahead of Saturday's contest against the Texas Rangers, optioning outfielder Joey Loperfido to make room on the roster. Advertisement 'The last couple of days,' manager John Schneider said, 'he was really champing at the bit to get back here.' A year after posting the lowest WAR of his career and hitting .220, the 35-year-old Springer is in the midst of a career renaissance. He's hitting the ball harder, on average, than ever before and sits behind just Vladimir Guerrero Jr. among qualified Jays players in OPS (.893). Toronto went 9-7 in Springer's absence. They scored 45 runs across three games in Colorado, but averaged just 3.6 in the other 13 contests. Injecting Springer, who hit a homer in his final rehab contest on Friday, back into the lineup should boost the team's offensive potential. He's moving back to the leadoff spot for his first game back, though Schneider said the lineup will remain fluid moving forward. 'He's just a guy who's really good at playing baseball and really good at hitting,' hitting coach David Popkins said. 'And a smart hitter. He's one of a kind. He's one of the best outfield hitters ever.' The Jays missed Springer on the basepaths and in the clubhouse as well, Schneider said. They've dipped back into the league's bottom third in team baserunning in recent weeks. They are also the worst fielding team in baseball since his injury, per Statcast. Springer grades out as one of the team's top baserunners this year. He may not directly help Toronto's fielding, often playing as the team's designated hitter, but he's long been a loud voice in Toronto's clubhouse. It's even easier to lead and motivate others when you're posting numbers, Schneider said. 'George is a big part of it,' Schneider said. 'Both on the bases and at the plate. So trying to just kind of clean those things up.' The Jays faced a difficult decision upon Springer's return, with no obvious candidate for demotion. Loperfido was ultimately optioned back to Triple A, despite hitting .358 in 30 big-league contests. Schneider called the demotion 'undeserved.' It's unlikely the end of Loperfido's major-league season, though, as he could return as an injury replacement soon or join the team again in September, when rosters expand. 'I can't guarantee that he's coming back in September,' Schneider said. 'But I think it's a pretty strong likelihood if everything stays status quo.' Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Little League World Series scores: Results, schedule from Day 4 as Texas faces Massachusetts, Pennsylvania plays Illinois
The 2025 Little League World Series is officially off and running. Eight teams continue their quest to win it all in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Friday in the annual summer tournament. A new winner will be crowned in 2025, too, after last year's champion, Lake Mary, Florida, was eliminated in the regional round. Which teams will prevail and remain in the winner's bracket? Catch up on all of the action below. Saturday's Little League World Series schedule Here's what's coming up on Saturday: Australia (0-1) vs. Czechia (0-1) at 10 a.m. ET Texas (0-1) vs. Massachusetts (0-1) at 3 p.m. ET Puerto Rico (0-1) vs. Mexico (0-1) at 5 p.m. ET Pennsylvania (0-1) vs. Illinois (0-1) at 7 p.m. ET Little League World Series format In case you need a refresher, the 2025 Little League World Series will feature a total of 20 teams: 10 from the United States and 10 international clubs. Those teams will compete in a modified double-elimination tournament. Play began Wednesday, Aug. 13, with the winners advancing and remaining in the winners' portion of the bracket. Starting Saturday, Aug. 16, the teams that lost their first games will face off to determine which teams remain in the event. Once a team loses twice, it is eliminated. That changes once the championships begin. The U.S. championship game and the international championship game will be held Saturday, Aug. 23, and will both be single-elimination games. The same thing will be true for the LLWS championship game. That creates a scenario in which a team could be eliminated from the event with just one loss. Games will last six innings. If a game is tied after six innings, both teams will play the seventh inning as normal, with no ghost runners on base. If a game extends past the seventh inning, a runner will open each inning on second base. Friday's Little League World Series schedule Venezuela 4, Canada 0 Nevada 5, Washington 3 Aruba 8, Panama 2 Connecticut 5, Hawai'i 1 Sunday's Little League World Series schedule Here's what's coming up on Sunday: Northwest vs. Southwest/New England winner at 9 a.m. ET Canada vs. Australia/Europe-Africa Winner at 11 a.m. ET West vs. Great Lakes/Mid-Atlantic Winner at 1 p.m. ET Panama vs. Game 15 Winner at 2 p.m. ET The evening will close out with the Seattle Mariners and New York Mets playing in the MLB Little League Classic at 7:10 p.m. ET.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cleveland Browns Dealt Troubling Shedeur Sanders Blow on Wednesday
Cleveland Browns Dealt Troubling Shedeur Sanders Blow on Wednesday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After being projected as a potential top five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders fell to the fifth round where the Cleveland Browns selected him with the No. 144 pick. The son of Deion Sanders now finds himself in a quarterback battle with fourth other signal callers and is hoping to take advantage of every rep he gets. Sanders, 23, got the starting nod in the team's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, leading the team to a 30-10 victory. Despite minimal reps with the ones, Sanders was able to shine, completing 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. While many assumed this would be enough to move him up the depth chart past fellow rookie, Dillon Gabriel who the Browns drafted in the third round, Sanders still finds himself at the bottom of the depth chart. As if he didn't already have an uphill journey to earn a starting or even backup role, Sanders was hit with untimely news on Wednesday. Shedeur Sanders Suffers Setback As reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, Sanders suffered an oblique injury during the team's Wednesday practice. "Browns QB Shedeur Sanders suffered an oblique injury while throwing during the early portion of practice today, and was held out for the rest of the session," wrote Schefter. Although this explains why Sanders didn't receive a single rep in the team's joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles, it certainly could not come at a worse time. Shedeur Sanders Was In Line to Start Second Preseason Game The development comes about an hour after head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that Sanders would start the team's Saturday preseason game against the Eagles if Gabriel and Pickett were unable to play. This is the second injury of the preseason for Sanders who also dealt with an arm injury last week. If he is unable to practice or play, his chances of working his way of the depth chart will take a huge hit. Now, it's entirely possible he was held out for precautionary reasons and may be able to play on Saturday, but any reps missed are a missed story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
