Tag: Joel Bitonio

6 Browns currently in the top-10 at their positions in Pro Bowl voting

The Browns have a handful of players who may see themselves in the Pro Bowl!

The NFL has released the results of their first round of Pro Bowl voting, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was more than happy to pass that information along. And for the 7-5 Cleveland Browns, who find themselves within striking distance of a wildcard spot, six players are currently in the top-10 at their respective positions in voting. These names are headlined by defensive end Myles Garrett and offensive guard Joel Bitonio. However, kicker Dustin Hopkins is getting the respect amongst his peers for his ongoing heroics this year.

For the most part, the Pro Bowl is nothing more than a popularity contest among those with name recognition. The event has been stripped down to a weekend of carnival games headlined by a flag football game as well as the players have never taken the actual game on the field seriously for their own health. However, seeing the names of those who wear the brown and orange among the NFL’s best remains exciting.

Here are all six players who are currently within striking distance of making the Pro Bowl for their performances thus far in 2023.

Worst of the Week: Clete Blakeman, Jamal Adams, Ron Rivera, Broncos in the red zone

Jamal Adams, Ron Rivera, Broncos in the red zone, Joe Flacco’s last two plays, and more bad officiating! It’s the NFL’s Worst of the Week!

Football is a wonderful, thrilling, inspiring game that can lift us to new heights in our lives.

But football is also a weird, inexplicable, at times downright stupid game that may force you to perform Keith Moon-level furniture destruction in your own living room.

So, as much as we at Touchdown Wire endeavor to write about what makes the game great, there are also times when it’s important to point out the dumb plays, boneheaded decisions, and officiating errors that make football all too human.

Folks, it’s time for the Worst of the Week for Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season.

Joel Bitonio, the longest-tenured Brown, is nominated for 2023 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

The guard continues to make a positive impact on and off the field.

Each year, every team nominates one player for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. This year, the Cleveland Browns have put up their longest-tenured player, guard Joel Bitonio, up for the honor. According to a statement released by the team, the award recognizes one exemplary player who plays the game the right way:

“The Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award recognizes those that demonstrate the qualities of on-field sportsmanship — including fair play, respect for the game and opponents and integrity in competition. The award was created in 2014, and it honors the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Rooney Sr.”

Bitonio was Cleveland’s nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award a year ago as well for his work off of the football field. The All-Pro guard has a reputation around the league as an exemplary player.

There will be eight finalists selected out of the 32 nominees, and then players will vote on those eight at the same time Pro Bowl voting is conducted next month.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Browns Injury Report: Denzel Ward returns to practice, Dawand Jones remains out Wednesday

The Browns get set to take on the Steelers shorthanded at QB and at RT with Dawand Jones. However, Denzel Ward returned to practice.

The Cleveland Browns got some devastating injury news on Wednesday, as it was announced that quarterback Deshaun Watson will miss the rest of the season with a broken shoulder. That is not the only concern with the Steelers on deck as right tackle Dawand Jones remains sidelined. On a bright note, however, cornerback Denzel Ward was a limited participant in practice as the Browns get set to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers despite leaving the game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Ward is not the only player to show up on the injury list, however, as there is a laundry list from Wednesday’s practice. A handful of players were resting on the first day of practice this week, so a bit of sifting through the names has to be done.

Here is the long list of players who did not practice or practiced on a limited basis as the Browns look to advance to 7-3 on the season against the Steelers on Sunday with an opportunity to take hold of the top spot in the AFC North.

PFF’s 10 highest-graded Browns’ offensive players vs. Cardinals

The offense took a big step forward against Arizona

The Cleveland Browns got their franchise quarterback back on the field Sunday and unlike the game against the Colts, he looked healthy. It was a bit of a slow start for Deshaun Watson on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, but he looked more and more comfortable as the game went along behind Wyatt Teller and the rest of the offensive line.

He showed good poise in the pocket and he navigated it well when he was under pressure. It looked like he was processing the defense at a solid level and wasn’t afraid to check it down for cheap yards. Using the threat of his legs to open things up underneath as well at times, it was a solid game for Watson.

Amari Cooper continues to be worth his weight in gold and remains the most consistent threat on the offense. It was a battle for the running game that had its moments but overall it was just average. Here are the top 10 players on offense according to PFF in Cleveland’s 27-0 victory.

Browns Injury Report: Cleveland starts Cardinals week with laundry list of injuries

The Browns got one key piece back in Deshaun Watson, but they are missing Dawand Jones as they prepare for the Cardinals

The Cleveland Browns are sitting at 4-3 on the season, looking to get back in the win column against the 1-7 Arizona Cardinals. As it sits just four days until gameday, however, the Browns have a lot of injuries to work through. While they got quarterback Deshaun Watson back to practice, they had a long list of players who missed. After exiting the game against the Seattle Seahawks, offensive tackle Dawand Jones has not yet returned to practice and is perhaps the biggest name on the list (no pun intended).

If Jones cannot go, the Browns will be forced to start their third different right tackle on the season in third-year player James Hudson III. It is a great thing to have the offensive line depth the Browns have as Hudson filled in against the Seahawks, grading out well in that game.

Here is the full list of every player who either missed practice on Wednesday or was limited by an injury.

6 Browns who are having Pro Bowl seasons at the midway point

The Cleveland Browns could send more players to the Pro Bowl this season than this past season.

The Cleveland Browns sent just four players to the Pro Bowl this past season and have a chance to send a few more after this season ends.

While areas of the team have yet to fully break out, there are a few positions where the Browns clearly have some of the best talent in the NFL – particularly on defense. There are still a lot of games left in the season, but so far these players are the Browns’ best opportunities to have representation in the Pro Bowl.

Here are the top five predictions, plus one honorable mention.

Browns Injury Report: A flurry of injuries overwhelm Wednesday’s practice with Seahawks next

The Browns enter Week 8 quite banged up…

Sitting at 4-2, the Cleveland Browns are once again looking to shock the world as they will start P.J. Walker at quarterback against the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle, also sitting at 4-2, enters this matchup as banged up as the Browns, who were without tight end David Njoku, running back Kareem Hunt, and a laundry list of other players on Wednesday.

Dealing with injuries for the past four weeks, however, the Browns have managed to squeak out wins against the San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts in back-to-back weeks. They will be looking for similar luck this week as they travel out west for a two-game road trip against the Seahawks this week, then the Arizona Cardinals the week after that.

Here is the full list of players that were either limited in practice or missed practice for the Browns as they prepare for their Week 8 showdown in the Pacific Northwest. With two days of practice left, let’s hope this trends in the right direction.

Browns inactives: Deshaun Watson, Joel Bitonio, Kareem Hunt all active vs. Colts

Deshaun Watson, Joel Bitonio and Kareem Hunt are all active for Week 7 against the Colts.

The Browns have announced their inactives for their Week 7 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts and they will officially have their starting quarterback back in the lineup. Deshaun Watson is officially active. Watson returned to practice this week after missing time with a shoulder injury.

Cleveland also gets their All-Pro guard Joe Bitonio back in the lineup as well. A knee injury kept Bitonio out of last week’s game against the 49ers, but as was expected, that was the only game the injury cost him. Bitonio is back in the lineup today.

Running back Kareem Hunt is also active today. Hunt has a thigh injury but returned to practice in a limited fashion Thursday and Friday. The Browns wanted to test him in pre-game and he is now good to go.

Here are your inactives for the Browns for Week 7.

Browns Injury Report: Deshaun Watson returns, Joel Bitonio taking it easy on knee Thursday

The Browns had all of their players at practice on Thursday except for Joel Bitonio. Yes, this means Deshaun Watson returned.

After they had a laundry list of players missing from practice on Wednesday, the Cleveland Browns got all but one player back on the field on Thursday as they prepare for the Indianapolis Colts. While left guard Joel Bitonio missed practice after he was limited the day before, everybody else was back. This includes quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Sitting at 3-2 on the season, the Browns have the opportunity to stack wins before they face back-to-back AFC opponents in Weeks 10 and 11. This week, they face off with the 3-3 Colts, who will be without their starting quarterback Anthony Richardson the rest of the season.

To stack these games, however, the Browns need much more out of their quarterback play. This starts with getting Watson back on the field, and Thursday was a massive step toward that development.

Here is the full injury report as we are now just two days away from the Browns’ showdown with the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.