CHARLOTTE — It's finally game week, Panthers fans, or at least, quasi-game week. Carolina is taking the field Friday night against the Cleveland Browns for their first preseason game of the season. The two teams also held a joint practice on Wednesday.

Coach Dave Canales revealed earlier in the week that starters (the depth chart can be found here) would be playing in Friday's game, as well as next week versus Houston. The decision is a change from last season, when starters only played one series in the final preseason game against the Bills. As of mid-week, Canales hadn't decided exactly how many plays or series starters would play, but would love to hit around eight to 12 plays.

"I think a couple of series," Canales said Wednesday, for what he was thinking play length-wise.

"My hope is if you get a good, long first drive, we're done there. If it's a three-and-out on either side, I'd love to give them another shot, you know, somewhere in the—if I had a perfect number, it'd be probably eight to 12, would be like my high hope for the group.

"And again, like we talked about, it starts the night before. It's the preparation. It's the morning of. It's what you eat on game day. It's the body readiness, kind of working through those nerves before the game and getting yourself into a great space, great head space to be able to perform."

One starter that for sure won't be playing Friday night is corner Jaycee Horn. He was involved in a minor car accident on Wednesday morning and had to receive stitches in his left hand. The goal is for him to be back on the field next week for joint practice and the second preseason game against the Texans.

As everyone else suits up on Friday, though, here are five things to watch for Panthers vs. Browns.

Testing receiver depth

Canales and the Panthers' pass catchers have spoken all offseason about the depth of this wide receiver corps. It will make the final roster decisions challenging and interesting, but that's what preseason games are for. While starters will begin the game, those who are younger or on the bubble can make a big impression on coaches Friday night.

Watch for Tetairoa McMillan to get chances with both Bryce Young and Andy Dalton as they bring along the rookie, for Jalen Coker and David Moore to both get a good amount of looks on offense and special teams, and for guys like Kobe Hudson, Jacolby George, T.J. Luther, and Brycen Tremayne to receive a lot of playing time.

This will also be a chance to really see Jimmy Horn Jr.'s speed up close. The rookie had two touchdowns during Fan Fest, but the Panthers still didn't fully open it up that night. Against another defense and with the chance to return punts and kickoffs, Horn can flash his speed for the first time.

Kicking competition continues

The kicking competition has remained tight and fierce throughout OTAs and training camp. Rookie Ryan Fitzgerald and veteran Matthew Wright have traded off days kicking. Wright took the kicks against the Browns during joint practice on Wednesday. If the Panthers continue the every-other-day cadence, then Fitzgerald will be the kicker on Friday night. They could also choose to let both guys trade off kicks during the game, having a 1-to-1 comparison in a game situation.

It will be the first NFL game experience for Fitzgerald, the FSU product.

Defensive line gets its debut

The defensive line received a huge influx of talent and mass this offseason, as well as the return of Derrick Brown. While starters will likely only be in for a handful of plays—and Derrick Brown's status is tentative with a rib/oblique—it will be a chance to see what this unit can do together for the first time and how that rotation might work between Bobby Brown III, A'Shawn Robinson, and Tershawn Wharton.

Rookie pass rushers suit up

One of the biggest storylines this offseason has been the progression and chemistry with rookie pass rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen. The duo will get a lot of snaps Friday night, behind starters D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones II. The Browns announced that rookie Shedeur Sanders will start for Cleveland, setting up a rookie showdown for the pass rushers.

Edge rusher is one of the toughest trajectory to overcome from college to the NFL. While the competition will go up a tick when the regular season arrives, this preseason game is a good chance for Scourton and Umanmielen to test their moves against NFL live game speed.

Shedeur's debut

As mentioned above, the Browns are starting rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, one of the six passers on their roster. Typically, a fifth-round selection starting a preseason game would not be newsworthy, but Sanders is not a normal prospect. The son of Deion Sanders drew a lot of eyes when he was filling up the stat sheet at Colorado, and he is one of the most talked-about prospects in this rookie class. As a result, there will be a lot of eyes on this preseason game, providing the Panthers with a chance to make an early impression on a national audience.