The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Starters’ workload to increase in preseason
Stanton gets his turn at quarterback in second preseason game
The starters barely broke a sweat before their work for the night ended in the Browns preseason opener. That will not be the situation Aug. 17 when Tyrod Taylor leads them against the Buffalo Bills at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Coach Hue Jackson said the starters on offense and defense are likely to play at least a quarter against the Bills after being on the field for only two series in the 20-10 win over the New York Giants on Aug. 9. The starting offense was in action only eight plays because the first possession was a three-andout and the second resulted in a touchdown after five plays.
“It all depends on how it’s going,” Jackson said after practice Aug. 15. “I definitely want them out there longer than eight plays. If the results are touchdowns, we’ll keep going. We just need to play a little bit more.
“Let’s see what the second week brings in terms of more execution and understanding situational football. We need to be better at substitutions, getting guys in and out as far as from the sideline. It’s Week 2 of the staff being together and understanding what we’re trying to accomplish. Those things are important. Obviously, the most important is evaluating the team still.”
Taylor will start at quarterback against his former team and be followed by rookie Baker Mayfield. Nine-year veteran Drew Stanton, who did not play last week, will follow Mayfield.
Jackson did not say how long Stanton will play, but he hinted it will be more than a mop-up appearance.
“He’s the secret sauce,” quarterback coach Ken Zampese said. “I’ll stand right here and say it. He is the secret sauce to the room and to the group. He’s seen everything before and he’s played enough to know exactly what’s going through the starter’s head.
“Shoot, as a starter he has a winning record. So he has a lot of input and a lot of influence on the way we think about things and the way we do things. He’s fantastic.”
Stanton, a secondround draft pick of the Detroit Lions in 2007, has appeared in 38 games in his career. He is 11-7 as a starter. He was 5-3 with Arizona in 2014 and 3-1 with the Cardinals last season.
The pecking order has been clear since June minicamp — Taylor, Mayfield, Stanton — but Jackson wants to take a long look at Stanton in game conditions against the Bills just in case something happens to Taylor. It is worth noting the last Browns quarterback to play all 16 games in one season was Tim Couch in 2002.
“He has never played for me, Todd (offensive coordinator Todd Haley) or Kenny in a game,” Jackson said of Stanton. “It’s important that we put him out there with his teammates and play. He is a very valuable person in our organization and on our football team.
“If something were to happen, we would have to make a heck of a decision on which road we travel. I want to know more about him. He’s been great at practice. You have to put guys in game situations, and let them play.”
Jackson wants to see improvement from the run offense (33 carries for 50 yards last week) and he wants a reduction in penalties. Last week, the Browns were flagged 13 times for 141 yards.
“He is the secret sauce to the room and to the group. He’s seen everything before and he’s played enough to know exactly what’s going through the starter’s head.” — Quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese on Drew Stanton