The Browns have started the preseason off on the right foot, earning their first preseason win with a 30-10 victory over the Panthers.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski and the Browns will use the positive moments from their win over the Panthers as they take the next step forward on both sides of the ball. Cleveland prepares to travel to Philadelphia for two joint practices ahead of the Week 2 preseason matchup against the Eagles.
So, with the first week of the preseason wrapped up and the Browns turning their focus to Week 2 against the Eagles, let's take one last look at three of the top performers from Friday's game in Charlotte.
DE Julian Okwara
While several of the Browns' starting defensive line did not take the field in the first preseason game, it gave an opportunity for their younger players and new additions on the roster to earn game reps. They rotated through several players at defensive end, including DE Julian Okwara.
And Okwara utilized his reps to his advantage, showcasing how he can rush the passer in the Browns' attack-style defense. Okwara recorded two sacks in Friday's game against the Panthers, leading the Browns in sacks for the game.
Early in the second quarter, Okwara broke past the offensive line and sacked QB Andy Dalton for a loss of 10 yards, forcing the Panthers into a three-and-out situation. In the second half early in the fourth quarter, Okwara got into the backfield once again and brought down QB Jack Plummer for his second sack.
Okwara also recorded two tackles, two quarterback hits and two tackles for loss against the Panthers.
WR Kaden Davis
The Browns used their first preseason to play several of their young receivers, including WR Kaden Davis, who has demonstrated his ability to run his routes and be open for the quarterbacks to connect with him.
That connection with QB Shedeur Sanders was on display in the first preseason game against the Panthers, as Davis caught three passes for 23 yards and two touchdowns. On the first touchdown, Sanders threaded the ball through tight traffic to find Davis in the end zone. On the second, after RB Ahmani Marshall came in for the blitz pickup to give Sanders more time in the pocket, he found Davis once again in the end zone.
"Kaden (Davis) has been very productive for the football team going back through the spring," Stefanski said. "Very dependable, knows what to do. (He's) fast. I think you see his speed show up in practice and game-like settings, so I was really happy for him to have the success that he did last night."
QB Shedeur Sanders
In his first NFL game, Sanders demonstrated a level of poise out on the field as he faced another NFL defense. He connected with his receivers with accuracy. He completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
Heading into the first game, Stefanski said Sanders knew he would receive many of his reps in game settings. He used those first live game reps to his advantage to manage the Browns' offense, react to different situations in real time and lead the Browns to a victory.
"By and large, the operation was really good and that's important when you have different guys in there," Stefanski said. "I think it goes back to with Shedeur (Sanders) or any player, that you're maximizing all of your time in the building. So, of course it's game reps, of course it's practice reps, but it's also those reps after practice. It's also those meetings and it's the walkthroughs and the walkthrough room, etc. All of that I think adds up to actually being able to participate, being able to have success in a game setting."
