Browns Injury Report: 8 missing with Bengals arriving in four days

The Browns are without eight players in practice today as they prepare for a Monday Night Football showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.

As the Cleveland Browns prepare for the Cincinnati Bengals, eight players were listed as “did not practice” on their initial injury report. Missing from practice today are tight ends David Njoku and Pharaoh Brown, defensive ends Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney, linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, guard Wyatt Teller, and cornerbacks Greedy Williams and Denzel Ward.

Njoku has stated his ankle is getting better every day, but it would be a miracle if he played Monday night. Expect the likes of Garrett, Clowney, Owusu-Koramoah, and Williams back at practice tomorrow. There is still no timeframe for the return of Teller or the two who remain in the concussion protocol in Ward and Brown.

You can find the full injury report below:

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Browns vs. Bengals final injury report: 7 Browns questionable for Week 18

Seven Browns players are questionable for Sunday’s finale, including five players in the secondary

It’s likely to be a busy afternoon for the broadcast crews for Sunday’s regular season finale between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. Given the questionable status of several key players and how many regulars from the first meeting will not be playing, it might be a good idea to have a roster at the ready.

The Browns did not rule any players out from the active roster due to injury, but seven players are officially designated as questionable on the team’s final injury report. That list includes cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams, as well as tight end David Njoku.

Players listed as questionable by the Browns coaching staff:

  • S Ronnie Harrison (ankle)
  • CB Troy Hill (knee)
  • RB Kareem Hunt (ankle)
  • S John Johnson (hamstring)
  • TE David Njoku (shoulder)
  • CB Denzel Ward (groin)
  • CB Greedy Williams (shoulder)

The list does not include Baker Mayfield. The Browns ended their starting quarterback’s season officially this week, placing Mayfield on injured reserve with his shoulder and knee issues.

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Browns Week 2 win snapped a long string of high-scoring losses

It’s something that has happened just twice since 2008

The Cleveland Browns snapped out of a long-running string with their 35-30 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. It was the first time Cleveland picked up a victory when allowing at least 30 points since the 2015 season.

The Browns hadn’t allowed 30 points or more and come out with a W since October 11, 2015. In Week 5 of that season, the Browns vanquished the Baltimore Ravens in overtime, 33-30 when Travis Coons nailed a 32-yard game-winner in a matchup where Cleveland QB Josh McCown passed for 457 yards.

It’s an exceedingly rare accomplishment for the Browns offense to come up with more points than the foe when the Cleveland defense surrenders at least 30. Prior to 2015, it hadn’t happened since Week 15 of the 2009 season. That 41-34 win over the Kansas City Chiefs by Eric Mangini’s Browns required two kickoff returns for touchdowns by Josh Cribbs.

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The Browns Wire Podcast: Bengals vs. Browns review, look ahead to Washington in Week 3

The Browns Wire Podcast: Bengals vs. Browns recap and review plus a look ahead to Washington in Week 3

Welcome to The Browns Wire Podcast, hosted by Josh Keatley (@JoshKeatley16). This week, Adam Moore (@Moore2102) and I discuss the details of the Browns win versus the Bengals.

  • Why did the Browns not beat the spread?
  • What did we see on offense?
  • What did we see on defense?
  • Initial thoughts on spread and the matchup against Washington in Week 3
  • Austin Hooper Autograph Giveaway: your chance to win an Austin Hooper autograph — like, follow and share and it can be yours.

Now recording live on Facebook!

It’s also available on all of your favorite podcast apps, including iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher and Spotify. Thanks for listening!

Kevin Stefanski proud of Browns ‘swamp tackling’ vs. Bengals

Bengals RB Joe Mixon ran 16 times for 46 yards

Kevin Stefanski picked up his first head coaching victory on Thursday night when his Cleveland Browns stymied the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, 35-30. Even though his defense allowed the 30 points, Stefanski took pride in how hard his Browns defense made it.

Cincinnati ran 88 plays but gained just 353 yards. The 4.0 yards per play is a terribly inefficient figure for the Bengals offense, with Joe Burrow attempting 61 passes.

He was especially happy with the run defense. Even with starting DE Olivier Vernon and two key LBs, Mack Wilson and Jacob Phillips, all sidelined, the Browns allowed talented Bengals RB Joe Mixon just 2.8 yards per carry.

“Our front did a nice job,” Stefanski said proudly in his Zoom press conference with reporters the day after the game. “The defensive line was very aggressive. Joe Mixon is a heck of a back, and he is not easy to get on the ground so there had to be some swamp tackling going on. If you can limit the run game like we did, it applies a ton of pressure and allows our front to rush the passer.”

Mixon ran 16 times for 46 yards and did not score. The strong run defense kept Burrow and the Bengals offense in 2nd-and-long frequently.

Browns vs. Bengals in Week 2 set ratings record for streaming platforms

The TV broadcast ratings were also up over 2019

For a regional matchup featuring two teams with extended postseason droughts, Thursday night’s game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals sure attracted a lot of national interest.

The preliminary ratings are out for Thursday’s contest at FirstEnergy Stadium. Over 7.2 million people watched the Browns’ 35-30 victory over the Bengals on the NFL Network and digital platforms. That made it the most-watched program across any broadcast spectrum on Thursday night.

In addition, it’s a 3% bump in ratings over the Week 2 broadcast from the 2019 season, a 20-14 Buccaneers win over the Panthers. The allure of the Baker Mayfield vs. Joe Burrow matchup was an attractive one for the game.

The game also set a record for digital streaming audience for any game ever on the NFL Network. From the NFL Media Twitter account, 522,000 people streamed the game. That’s a 39% increase over last year’s comparable game.

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Snap counts: Browns defense got a workout in Week 2

Cincinnati ran 92 offensive plays to 58 for the Browns

The defensive players for the Cleveland Browns have earned a Friday off. They were on the field for an incredible amount of snaps on Thursday night in Cleveland’s 35-30 win over the visiting Cincinnati Bengals.

The invaders from the southwest corner of Ohio ran an incredible 92 offensive snaps in the game. Two Browns defenders, safety Andrew Sendejo and LB B.J. Goodson, were on the field for all 92 of them.

Four other Browns defenders played at least 90% of the reps:

  • CB Denzel Ward, 91
  • CB Terrance Mitchell, 91
  • S Karl Joseph, 86
  • DE Myles Garrett, 84

With the depth challenged already at DE with Olivier Vernon inactive, Adrian Clayborn was on the field for just 18 snaps before he left with an injury of his own. Porter Gustin took over and played 63, while newcomer Joe Jackson saw 31 reps, including his goal-line fumble recovery.

Malcolm Smith played 56 snaps compared to Sione Takitaki’s 41 at linebacker around Goodson. Takitaki did not play well early in the game, and it appears Browns DC Joe Woods opted for Smith’s experience. Tae Davis was on the field for just one snap.

On offense, Cleveland efficiently gained over 420 yards on just 58 snaps. The entire starting offensive line, which included Chris Hubbard at right tackle in place of injured Jack Conklin, played all 58 together. Baker Mayfield also took every snap at QB.

Browns stock report: Who rose up and who fell down in Cleveland’s Week 2 win over the Bengals

Austin Hooper was on the field for every rep but one. No other Browns offensive player topped the 39 snaps from WR Odell Beckham. Jarvis Landry and KhaDarel Hodge were almost even, with Landry on the field for 35 and Hodge for 33.

Nick Chubb played 36 reps at RB while Kareem Hunt played 20. FB Andy Janovich played 22 as the lead blocker.

Harrison Bryant played just over half the game, 30 snaps, as the No. 2 TE with David Njoku on IR. No. 3 TE Stephen Carlson played just four, the same amount as backup tackle Kendall Lamm repped as an extra blocker.

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By the numbers: Breaking down the figures leading to the Browns Week 2 win over the Bengals

Breaking down the stats behind the Browns’ 35-30 win over the Bengals

The numbers that matter most are the 35 points for the Cleveland Browns and the 30 for the Cincinnati Bengals. Here’s how the two teams got to that final score in Cleveland on Thursday night … by the numbers.

0 – Number of sacks the Browns allowed despite starting backup Chris Hubbard at right tackle. The initial NFL game book does not show a single QB hit by the Bengals defense.

0 – Field goal attempts by new Browns kicker Cody Parkey

1 – 3-and-out possession between the two teams, the Browns’ third overall drive that was held back by an intentional grounding penalty

1 – Punt by the “Scottish Hammer” Jamie Gillan

3 – Sacks by the Browns defense

4.5 – Yards per attempt by Cincinnati QB Joe Burrow

5 – Third-down conversions for the Browns, on eight attempts

5 – Fourth-down conversions by the Bengals, successful on all their attempts

5 – Number of receivers who caught Baker Mayfield’s first five passes

8 – Penalties enforced against the Browns

9.5 – Yards per attempt by Mayfield

23 – Yards, the longest gain by the Bengals offense on 88 plays

37 – Completions by Burrow, the most for a rookie in NFL history

74 – Receiving yards for Odell Beckham Jr. to lead the Browns

86 – Rushing yards for Kareem Hunt, on 10 carries. Hunt rambled for 76 of those yards in the fourth quarter.

90.6 – Burrow’s QB Rating

110.6 – Mayfield’s QB Rating

124 – Rushing yards for Nick Chubb, on 24 carries

353 – Total Bengals yards, on 88 plays

454 – Total Browns yards, on 58 plays

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Browns offense buries the Week 1 struggles by burying the Bengals defense in Week 2

Kevin Stefanski’s Browns offense thrived as advertised in posting 5 TDs against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2

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Put away the pitchforks and torches. Hang up the angry calls to sports radio demanding radical change right away. The Cleveland Browns offense just needed a week of field-testing.

Kevin Stefanski’s offense thrived as advertised at home in posting five touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals. Cleveland ran past the visitors from Cincinnati, 35-30.

The Browns offense, so staid and sloppy in Baltimore in Week 1, was electrifyingly efficient and effective in Week 2. The blocking scheme looked harmonious in front of QB Baker Mayfield and leading the charge for 124 rushing yards from Nick Chubb and another 86 from Kareem Hunt.

Mayfield was composed and in control all night. He made one bad mistake, an interception deep in Bengals territory where he didn’t see the backside corner, William Jackson, sagging into a robber role. Other than that, this was a more emotionally contained version of the record-setting rookie Baker Mayfield of 2018.

Stefanski smartly moved Mayfield around. There was ample play-action, several bootlegs and even a couple of designed rollouts. That is where Mayfield thrived in college and during his rookie campaign. No. 6 was sharp with his accuracy and flashed the tight-window rifle that many questioned if he had any ammo left inside. The smart flow to the offense kept the Bengals unbalanced and uncomfortable all night.

The 434 yards of offense is a great showing one week after little went right. The Browns converted 5-for-8 on third-down conversions. Eight different Browns caught passes, including five separate players hauling in the first five passes Mayfield threw. Odell Beckham was engaged early, catching the team’s first TD, but wasn’t forced the ball. The offensive line was very good in both run blocking and pass protection, finally looking in sync and at ease with the new scheme.

This was the offense the fans were promised when GM Andrew Berry hired Stefanski, a Shanahan-tree disciple, away from Minnesota to lead the team. It took an uncomfortable week against what just might be the best team in the AFC to get untracked, but on Thursday night we saw the bright potential of the Cleveland offense shine majestically on the shores of Lake Erie.

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Watch: Browns RB Nick Chubb powers in for the TD

Watch: Browns RB Nick Chubb powers in for the TD

The Cleveland Browns got on the scoreboard against the Cincinnati Bengals thanks to Nick Chubb and some excellent blocking in front of him.

Chubb chugged into the Bengals end zone from 11 yards out on the Browns opening drive. It was an impressive capper to a great drive that answered the Bengals’ opening field goal.

Chubb charged in off right end, breaking a couple of arm tackles along the way. He picked up an excellent lead block from FB Andy Janovich, though the entire offensive line looks good on this beautiful touchdown.