JACKSONVILLE, Florida — The Browns came away winners of their first preseason game, taking down the Jaguars, 23-13, on Saturday at TIAA Bank Field.
Here are three things that stood out the most from the win.
1. Case Keenum leads a smooth, clean Browns offense
Case Keenum took more in-game snaps Saturday than he did in all of 2020, and his performance served as a nice reminder of how good of hands the Browns are in with the veteran as their backup quarterback.
On a night when most of the Browns' projected offensive starters rested on the sidelines, Keenum played all of the first quarter and half of the second, completing 12-of-17 passes for 115 yards. He connected with Donovan Peoples-Jones on his very first pass — something Baker Mayfield has done quite often throughout training camp, too — and went on to get the ball in the hands of five others who are vying to fill key roles on the Browns offense this season. The Browns picked up two field goals on his three drives, which ran smoothly and featured just one penalty.
Keenum set the table for what was a similarly nice performance by Kyle Lauletta, who threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns.
"He prepares really hard," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. "I think he was excited to play. He loves this game. To see him out there and operate and have Baker out there to support him and have Kyle come in, I thought that was a really nice job of that room in general to take charge and lead this team up and down. Was it perfect? No. But pleased overall with how those guys operated."
Keenum, of course, came to Cleveland with plenty of experience as a starter but has fully embraced the role he's in behind Mayfield. He appeared just once in 2020, relieving Mayfield during the second half of a lopsided loss at Pittsburgh, and didn't have a preseason to get any live snaps with his new teammates. Still, Keenum's connection with Stefanski and command of his offense has made for an ideal match, and his positive influence on Mayfield has been apparent from Day 1.
Keenum's looked the part all throughout training camp — he was particularly good at the Orange & Brown Practice — and Saturday was simply a continuation of it.
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