Tag: Jedrick Wills Jr.

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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LT Jedrick Wills Jr. exits with knee injury in first game back vs. Giants

Cleveland Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. exited the game against the New York Giants with a knee injury

Cleveland Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. exited the game against the New York Giants with a knee injury. Wills injured his knee during the third quarter when a Giants player whipped into the back of Wills’ legs. Wills returned for the first time this season after suffering an MCL tear last season.

Starting left guard Joel Bitonio replaced Wills at left tackle. Starting center Ethan Pocic replaced Joel Bitonio at left guard. Backup center Nick Harris replaced Pocic in the lineup. The Browns offensive line have suffered a lot of injuries during the game. Starting right guard Wyatt Teller was ruled out with a knee injury earlier in the third quarter.

The Browns desperately need offensive line help against the Giants. The Giants defense have pressured the Browns offense all game. The Browns have not generated any offense against the Giants because of it.

The Cleveland Browns are currently losing to the New York Giants 7-21. The Browns are still in the game, but time is quickly running out for them.

Another starting offensive lineman cleared to practice in the nick of time

Cleveland Browns OT Jed Wills Jr. was cleared to return to practice after suffering an MCL tear in 2023.

Cleveland Browns starting left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. is cleared to practice. Wills was among a garrison of Browns’ players returning from injury this week. Wills suffered a season-ending MCL tear last November. The tackle had knee surgery in December after he attempted to play through the injury. 

Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters the Browns will take it slow with Wills,  “He’s cleared to practice. He’s doing walk-throughs. He’s not going to practice just yet, but he’s progressing through his rehab.” 

The Browns need Wills to protect quarterback Deshaun Watson this year. Wills is poised for a strong season. The veteran is entering the final year of his contract, and he’s looking to capitalize on it. 

Wills is a talented left tackle, but inconsistency has haunted him throughout his career. Wills must mentally buy-in on every snap. His lack of care between downs has limited the start of a promising career.

In week one, Wills will have his biggest test of the season against Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys. Hopefully, the tackle can string together a great season and get rewarded handsomely.

One starting offensive lineman is getting closer to returning to the field

Wills could be close to a return

The Cleveland Browns’ left tackle position has been a major issue so far in training camp. The team has had James Hudson III out there for a significant number of snaps, and he isn’t the guy for that role.

But the team could be getting a boost as left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. worked out with medical personnel on Thursday after walkthroughs. The teams seemed early in the offseason that Wills would be good to start the regular season, but we have yet to see him on the field for practice.

Wills isn’t a superstar, but he’s significantly better than Hudson and would help the offense settle in. A little over three weeks remain until the Browns start the regular season against the Cowboys at home. Getting Wills and Jack Conklin back in time to prepare for that game would be a big boost for the Browns as they look for another win to start the year.

Browns Podcast: Breaking down the offensive tackle room and more

There are some questions surrounding the tackle group

Training camp for the 2024 Cleveland Browns season is just a few weeks away, with rookies reporting on July 22nd at Veterans on the 23rd.

Last week, some videos were posted to social media showing Nick Chubb completing stability drills on his injured knee. That is significant, and realistically, Chubb could return earlier than previously thought.

Last year, the depth at offensive tackle was tested. The team started players off the street as their top three tackles suffered season-ending injuries. Jedrick Wills Jr. is in a contract year, and the team still isn’t sure if he is the answer with inconsistent play throughout his career so far.

Jack Conklin has battled back-to-back season-ending injuries, and promising young right tackle Dawand Jones will push to start after a great rookie season. You can hear a complete breakdown of the offensive tackle group by watching our latest episode by clicking here.

Two Browns players find themselves on PFF’s most to prove in 2024 list

Do you agree these players belong on this list?

There are some lofty expectations for the Cleveland Browns after they won 11 games and made the playoffs in 2023. The roster, top to bottom, is one of the best in the league, with talent everywhere you look on both sides of the ball. One publication wonders, however, if quarterback Deshaun Watson and left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. can rise to the occasion.

However, the team will need to answer some questions and fill some key positions to reach its ultimate goal. PFF recently posted a list asking which player has the most to prove in 2024, and Watson and Wills Jr. were on that list.

Those two being on that list make a ton of sense to me, and Watson could benefit a lot from Wills becoming the player the team thought he would be when he was drafted 10th overall.

Talking about the need for Watson to return to form is exhausting at this point, but that doesn’t make it any less true. If the Browns are to reach their ultimate goal of making a Super Bowl run, these two players definitely need to step up.

Browns release statement after Jedrick Wills Jr. ruled out for the season

The top 10 pick joins a long list of players out for the year

When the Cleveland Browns placed left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. on injured reserve last month they believed it would not be a season-ending injury. On Monday, that changed when the team announced he had undergone knee surgery that would sideline him for the remainder of the season.

This was a big year for Wills as next year is the last year of his rookie contract as he will play on the fifth-year option. Though he has a slow start this year he was playing some of the best football of his career when he went down.

On the same day, the team released a statement saying that the surgery was successful and they believe he will make a full recovery for the 2024 season. Now the Browns must decide if they will extend Wills or let his fifth-year option play out. The team could extend him thinking his strong play to end his season could be a sign he is figuring it all out.

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Veteran Geron Christian Sr. should remain Browns’ left tackle with Jedrick Wills Jr. out

Geron Christan Sr. should start over James Hudson III when Dawand Jones returns

One of the things that jumped out the most while watching the All-22 of the Browns’ win on Sunday was how well veteran left tackle Geron Christian Sr. played. With both Jedrick Wills Jr. out, as well as rookie right tackle Dawand Jones, it was up in the air who would start at the tackle position.

When Dawand Jones returns from injury the team should not put James Hudson III at left tackle and should keep Christian at the position until Wills returns. It was by no means perfect in Baltimore and Christian did allow a sack but he was by no means a liability against a pretty solid Ravens pass rush.

It will be a big test this week against the Steelers with Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt being on a whole other level than Baltimore’s rushers. Cleveland has shown that the next-man-up mentality is working for them as they haven’t allowed injuries to slow them down overall.

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Browns will be without their top three offensive tackles vs. Ravens

The depth at tackle will really be tested on Sunday

Already without right tackle Jack Conklin for the rest of the season, Cleveland placed left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. on IR this week. Rookie Dawand Jones, who had been playing well at right tackle, has now been ruled out for Sunday’s showdown against the Ravens.

The Brownso are going against one of the best defenses and pass rushes in Baltimore, needing a big win and hopefully stealing it on the road. That leaves James Hudson III and multiple other players who have been added via practice squads, with not many high-end players left to step in.

Hudson struggled mightily in camp, as well as the preseason, and the idea of him starting at left tackle doesn’t elicit much confidence. But an idea tossed out on social media by the OBR’s Andrew Spayde makes a ton of sense to me.

He suggested that Cleveland could move left guard Joel Bitonio to left tackle, put rookie Luke Wypler at left guard, and have Hudson at right tackle. Bitonio has made it clear in the past that he didn’t want a permanent move to left tackle but has played a couple of games as a left tackle when the team was in a bind – something he could do again.

Luke Wypler played decent at left guard in the preseason and when Hudson III played well in meaningful games it was at right tackle. Bitonio played two games at left tackle in 2021 and received overall grades of 91.5 and 82.6 from PFF, so this could be the best option for the Browns.

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