The Browns will get some primetime attention, just not in the regular season

When the NFL schedule came out in May, the Cleveland Browns were omitted from any primetime games. Come to think about it, the franchise wasn’t involved in any contests in the international series as well.

These games are being played in various countries such as England, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Mexico, and, for the first time, in Australia and France.

The NFL recently announced it is broadcasting only five nationally televised preseason games, and the Browns are included. Cleveland’s home game against the New England Patriots on August 27 will be available on Prime Video. This is good news for the faithful Cleveland fanbase.

Each club will play three preseason games except for the two teams participating in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, during the Hall of Fame induction weekend. This year, it is the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers who have the extra game. Both clubs have players who are being inducted.

The Panthers and Cardinals will play four preseason contests instead of three. When the NFL regular season schedule eventually goes to 18 games, that number will likely drop to two exhibition games.

Getting in an extra practice game?

What many clubs are doing is combining practice sessions with another club for a week and then having multiple live action practices in full pads with full contact. This is considered the new norm for an additional practice game. Once the preseason games are cut to two contests, it may become an annual affair for teams to schedule practice weeks with two clubs instead of just one.

Folks question why the NFL has preseason games at all. The reasons are many.

For one, rookies need live game situations to gauge the new level. Secondly, new players that arrive on the roster need the time to get acclimated to a new playbook as well as new teammates. Thirdly, when a new head coach is hired, as is the case in Cleveland, invariably new schemes are implemented on both sides of the ball, often with different terminology.

The players need the practice time, and the coaches need to see who is catching on and who is lagging behind. #4, all teams at all levels need practice games before a season begins. They just do. And finally, the coaches need to know who to cut and who to keep. Live games offer a huge glimpse into which players should be retained.