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So far we’ve seen a big shift in team’s approaches to the preseason in 2019, and that includes Week 3, which has typically been used as the closest thing to a dress rehearsal in past years. This was the week we would expect to see a majority of starters play for at least the first half, if not longer, but with the health of players on the forefront of coaches’ minds, this has been a dying trend.
Still, there should be some interesting games on Friday night, especially with some of the younger teams or teams with new head coaches taking advantage of the live reps to iron out any miscommunications or situations.
The “early” game on Friday will feature the Browns, who recently acquired Braxton Miller after the Eagles waived the wide receiver to make room for Josh McCown. Miller is getting back to his homestate and the reception has been more than welcome — we’ll have to see if that translates to the field, as he hadn’t really done a whole lot to impress the Philly media throughout the 2019 offseason thus far.
There are a few familiar faces in the second game on Friday as well, with QB Matt Barkley and RB LeSean McCoy suiting up for the Bills. Barkley had a really good outing in Week 2 of the preseason (going 8-for-10 with a touchdown) but is still holding steady at the No. 2 quarterback spot. McCoy had four carries last week for 11 yards, but did push through the line for a one-yard TD run, and is expected to have a big role this season.
Here’s all the information for Friday’s games.
Cleveland Browns vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Game Information
Date: August 23, 2019
Start time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: NFL Network
Location: Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, FL
Online Streaming
Live stream: NFL Game Pass | fuboTV
Odds
Cleveland (-3) vs. Tampa Bay
SB Nation Blogs
Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions Game Information
Date: August 23, 2019
Start time: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Location: Ford Field | Detroit, MI
Online Streaming
Live stream: NFL Game Pass | fuboTV
Odds
Buffalo (-1) vs. Detroit
SB Nation Blogs
Buffalo Rumblings | Pride of Detroit
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Note: This is an open thread. Discuss the game in the comments below.