Tag: Ethan Pocic

Sights and sounds from the first half as the Ravens hold a 14-3 lead over the Browns

Sights and sounds from the first half as the Ravens hold a 14-3 lead over the Browns

Baltimore holds a 14-3 lead over Cleveland in the season finale, but all fans and experts can wonder is whether Zay Flowers sustained a serious injury when he was forced to exit with a knee injury.

Flowers had one catch on two targets before exiting, and his injury came shortly after Rashod Bateman was slow to get up after a big hit. Even with the Browns playing stout defense, the Ravens are 30 minutes from clinching the AFC North.

Derrick Henry has six carries for eight yards, and the Ravens have been held to 76 yards rushing in the first half.

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Injuries to key DBs highlight Ravens’ struggles with pass defense in loss to Browns

The Ravens entered this game dead last in the league in pass defense, so the Browns were well aware they could exploit the secondary.

Those who call the NFL a league of parity (not “parody,” OMG! That common malapropism drives me insane) could certainly point to today’s 29-24 win by the Cleveland Browns over the Baltimore Ravens.

Worst beat first in the AFC North division as Baltimore’s five-game win streak ended, as did Cleveland’s five-game losing skid.

Jameis Winston, who many football pundits have declared “washed” for some time, finished 27 of 41 passing for 334 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions while leading the Browns’ offense to heights that had not been seen under their franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson this season.

The Ravens entered this game dead last in the league in pass defense, so the Browns were well aware the secondary was a position group that could potentially be exploited.

And things worsened for Baltimore even before a single pass was thrown, as Nate Wiggins (illness), Marlon Humphrey (ankle), and T.J. Tampa (IR) were all ruled out.

More change was still to come in the defensive backs position group, as Marcus Williams was benched for being largely ineffective this season. The Ravens’ pass defense has been a persistent problem this year, but it’s not as bad as it may seem.

Baltimore is so stout against the run that opponents consistently find themselves having to rely on their passing attacks heavily. Also, the Ravens entered the day in first place, with a 5-2 record, and teams with winning records tend to find themselves ahead, and even well ahead, most of the time.

And what do you do when you’re behind, often well behind?  You pretty much have to pass.

So, while today was undoubtedly a shocking surprise defeat, all is not lost.

Ravens take a step back in shocking 29-24 loss to the Browns in Week 8

Ravens take a step back in shocking 29-24 loss to the Browns in Week 8

Baltimore has a penchant for blowing late fourth-quarter leads, but on Sunday, the Ravens took a step back toward the inconsistent unit that lost two straight to start the season.

In what can only be described as a shocking loss, the Cleveland Browns had their most impactful performance without Deshaun Watson in a 29-24 victory over first-place Baltimore in Week 8.

Lamar Jackson started the game 6-6 passing but finished 23-38 passing, for 289 yards (7.6 avg), two touchdowns, and zero interceptions with a 101.8 rating. Just like Baltimore had their five-game winning streak snapped, star running back Derrick Henry came back to earth, rushing for only 73 yards (6.6 avg) and one touchdown on 11 carries.

After missing two practices during the week with an ankle injury, second-year wideout Zay Flowers posted another 100-yard game, logging seven catches for 115 yards on the afternoon.

Zach Orr’s defense played without two starters at cornerback, and Jameis Winston carved up the Ravens. The former Heisman Trophy winner went 23-38 passing for 334 yards and three touchdowns.

The Browns took the lead when Winston threw a 38-yard touchdown pass — his third of the game — to Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds left as Cleveland erased weeks of frustration.

Baltimore will now look to regroup with Bo Nix and the upstart Broncos heading to M&T Bank Stadium in Week 9.

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Nick Chubb among six starters or key contributors ruled out for Browns vs. Eagles

Nick Chubb among six starters or key contributors ruled out for Browns vs. Eagles

The Browns are 1-4 and banged up at several key positions. The massive underdog for Sunday’s matchup against the Eagles will enter the matchup missing several vital starters or contributors.

Cleveland has ruled out the following for the Eagles game: Nick Chubb, Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman, Nyheim Hines, James Hudson, and Ethan Pocic.

Mohamoud Diabate, Jordan Hicks, Maurice Hurst, and Denzel Ward are questionable.

For the Eagles, they’ll be their healthiest coming out of the bye, with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Lane Johnson returning to the lineup.

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Browns lose yet another staring offensive lineman to injury vs. Raiders

Cleveland Browns starting center Ethan Pocic exited the Las Vegas Raiders game with an ankle injury. He is questionable to return.

Cleveland Browns starting center Ethan Pocic injured his ankle during the extra point at the end of the opening drive against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Pocic walked to the locker room with trainers near the end of the first quarter. He is questionable to return.

Nick Harris replaced Pocic to start the second drive. Harris played center last week after the Browns shifted Pocic and Joel Bitonio to left guard and left tackle respectively. The Browns’ offensive line has been plagued with injuries. 

Their projected starters have yet to play a down together this season. The team put Pro Bowler Wyatt Teller on the injured reserve list. The Browns are starting rookie Zak Zinter in his place. The Browns must get healthy in the trenches. 

The Browns offense started hot against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Browns have scored on their first two drives. The Browns are leading the Raiders 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Browns Podcast: Cleveland’s interior O-line is one of the NFL’s best

Interior offensive line is a major strength of the Browns

Training camp is finally here, as the Cleveland Browns will report and head for The Greenbrier this week. One position that they don’t have to worry about at all is the interior offensive line. The trio of Ethan Pocic, Joel Bitonio, and Wyatt Teller is as good as it gets in the NFL.

However, it was a bit of a down year for Bitonio, who had a nagging back injury that seemed to limit him for much of the year. But it was probably the best year we have seen from Wyatt Teller since 2020, who was fantastic and back to mauling people in the run game.

The run game wasn’t great at times last year, and the team will need to lean on these big, strong interior guys if they want to fix it in 2024. You can hear more about this great group of guards and centers in the latest episode by clicking here.

Browns Injury Report: Ethan Pocic returns to practice, Juan Thornhill still out with Texans next

The Browns got their starting center and linebacker back to practice on Wednesday.

For once, the Cleveland Browns have met a team as banged up as they are. While the Browns got some starters back to practice in center Ethan Pocic and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., they still miss safety Juan Thornhill. The silver lining? The Houston Texans have a significantly long injury report as well.

It has already been broken that quarterback C.J. Stroud is still dealing with concussion symptoms and is highly unlikely to play in this Week 16 matchup against the Browns. However, their other top-five pick, Will Anderson Jr., is also still out of practice after missing their last game.

For the Browns, they technically did not practice. Instead, they had a walk-through on Wednesday. They still have to report their Wednesday injury report as if they were going to practice, however. Here is every player that appeared as if they did not practice, or as limited in practice from Wednesday’s walk-through.

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Browns Inactives: Denzel Ward returns, Anthony Walker Jr. OUT vs. Bears

Now 90 minutes from gametime, the Browns have released their inactives against the Bears as Denzel Ward will make his return

Welcome to Week 15 as the Cleveland Browns host the Chicago Bears on a messy, rainy afternoon. It might be gloomy outside, but the Browns get some good news as Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward is set to return to the lineup after missing the last three games with a shoulder injury. Linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., who was listed as questionable, will not play, however.

For a team as beat up as the Browns, placing four significant contributors on Injured Reserve this week alone, getting Ward on the field as Justin Fields and the Bears come to Cleveland Browns Stadium is a massive boost for the defense.

Given those injuries, we will also see the Cleveland Browns’ debut of rookie defensive tackle Siaki Ika, who has been inactive every game this season. Fourth round defensive end Isaiah McGuire will see his second bout of action as well.

With these two rookies off the bench, who is inactive for the Browns today? Here is the list of players who will not dress against the Bears as Cleveland looks to continue to hold their wildcard slot even tighter.

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Browns Injury Report: Handful of starters still missing from practice as Bears near

The Browns are hosting the Bears in just three straight days, but they still have key players like Ethan Pocic and Juan Thornhill absent

The injury list for the Cleveland Browns gets longer by the list. Already sitting with 16 players who have missed significant time this year as the Chicago Bears come to town, they still have a handful of starters who have not practiced this week with two days until gametime as they look to continue to increase their playoff odds. That list includes starting center Ethan Pocic and safety Juan Thornhill.

Thornhill, who was signed to a three-year deal this offseason, has battled a calf injury all season that has caused him to miss three games this season. Pocic suffered a stinger in Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the Browns are still hoping for his return this week. Friday’s practice status will tell us much more about both of these players.

If Thornhill cannot go, the Browns will be scraping the bottom of the barrel at safety as Grant Delpit and Rodney McLeod are both already on Injured Reserve. Undrafted rookie Ronnie Hickman got the start a week ago. With Delpit out, he will start again. If Thornhill cannot go, expect veteran Duron Harmon to start with Hickman fresh off of the practice squad.

In addition to Pocic and Thornhill, here is every player who either missed practice on Thursday or was limited as the Bears quickly approach.

Browns Injury Report: Ethan Pocic, Juan Thornhill among 11 starters not practicing

The Browns need to get as healthy as possible, and fast.

As the Cleveland Browns prepare to take on the Chicago Bears, they are far from healthy as this season has taken its toll on the lineup. With 16 significant contributors who have missed multiple games this season, the Browns were without center Ethan Pocic, safety Juan Thornhill, and nine other starters during Wednesday’s practice.

While a handful of those players sat out with scheduled rest, the Browns are facing an uphill battle the rest of the way out due to the attrition that has struck their roster this season. However, still sitting at 8-5, can head coach Kevin Stefanski muster out two or three more wins down the stretch to lock themselves into a playoff spot?

The first task toward that goal is taking down Justin Fields and the Bears, who will come to Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday. Needing to get healthy first, however, here are all of the players who either missed practice or were limited due to an injury on Wednesday.