The Sports Xchange

BEREA, Ohio — The preseason is more important for some players than for others, and one of those players for the Cleveland Browns is second-year cornerback Justin Gilbert.

Although he would have played had the preseason opener against the Washington Redskins on Thursday been a regular-season game, starting left cornerback Joe Haden was in street clothes because of a hamstring injury.

Tramon Williams started at left corner. Gilbert started at right cornerback and turned in a spotty performance. Haden should be back when the Browns host the Buffalo Bills next week, which means Gilbert, the eighth pick of the 2014 draft, likely will be back on the bench fighting for playing time.

Gilbert played into the third quarter — he was on the field longer than any defensive starter — and gave up three passes for 40 yards.

Coach Mike Pettine pulled no punches on Friday after reviewing the tape.

“He made some good plays and some bad,” Pettine said. “There are some things he needs to work on. It will be a good teaching film for him.”

Gilbert would have been charged with a touchdown pass when he got suckered on play action by Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III and let wide receiver Pierre Garcon run past him. But Garcon, five yards behind Gilbert, let the ball slip through his hands.

“That was a bad play, and the rest of the game was flawless for me,” Gilbert said. “Oh, most definitely, besides that one play when I had my eyes in the wrong place, the rest of the game I thought my technique was flawless. I played my guys well, and I was disciplined the rest of the game.”

Pettine had a different opinion.

“He made that statement without having seen the film,” Pettine said.

The Browns are nowhere near giving up on Gilbert, but figuring where he fits in if he doesn’t beat out Williams at right cornerback will be a challenge for the coaches.

The Browns jockeyed down and up in the first round of the 2014 draft to take Gilbert because they didn’t have great faith in Buster Skrine. But Skrine beat out Gilbert for a starting job and then cashed in during free agency, signing with the New York Jets.

Reports on Gilbert over the winter were positive. He spent part of the time in Florida working with Haden. More than teaching him about technique, Haden schooled Gilbert on what it takes to be a pro. There are times in training camp, however, when Gilbert looks as lost as he did last year. Pierre Desir, a 2014 fourth-round choice from Division II Lindenwood, was practicing ahead of Gilbert before a hamstring injury Aug. 6 sidelined him.

Veteran safety Donte Whitner supports Gilbert. He sees natural ability and is trying to coax it out of him.

“We have to watch the film first and then we all get together and say some things to him,” Whitner said. “So many people are beating him up right now; you don’t want to add to the fire. You want to uplift him.”

Gilbert started only two games last season. Desir started four.

On a more positive note, Gilbert returned a kick 26 yards Thursday.

–The Browns leave Sunday for two days of practices with the Buffalo Bills at the Bills’ St. John Fisher training camp site near Rochester, N.Y. Left tackle Joe Thomas anticipates some skirmishes between the Browns’ offensive line and the Bills’ defensive line.

“I’d be shocked if there weren’t more than a few fights,” Thomas said. “Guys in training camps fight their own teammates. It’s really competitive and tempers get roaring. The temperature is hot and your job is on the line. People are always pushing that line in practice. When it’s another team, it’s another level.”

Thomas did not play in the preseason opener but is expected to practice and play against the Bills.

–Quarterback Johnny Manziel rushed 12 yards for a touchdown in the preseason opener, and the only emotion he showed was clenching his right fist. He rushed over and slapped his teammates on their helmets but drew no attention to himself.

Manziel was happy with the touchdown, but he was more concerned about going three and out in three of his five possessions.

“I wish we could’ve converted some of those third downs,” he said. “There are little things like depths on some of those short routes, picking up some protections and making the right calls. For a first game, it wasn’t bad. We scored 17 points, so there’s a lot of room to improve.”