Browns Injury Alert: DT Jordan Elliott ruled out with concussion vs. Jaguars

Cleveland Browns DT Jordan Elliott exits game vs. Jaguars for a concussion evaluation

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Jordan Elliott exited the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with an injury. He left at the two-minute drill during the second quarter. He has a concussion per Mary Kay Cabot. The Browns have been plagued with concussion injuries over the past month, as they’ve lost multiple starters to the injury.

Elliott is an important part of the defensive tackle rotation. His unique blend of size, speed, and strength makes him an asset against the run and passing game. He’s a valuable starter. The Browns have a deep defensive tackle room and will rely on Maurice Hurst II and Shelby Harris during the second half. The veteran duo are a commendable pair and should have no problem facing a depleted Jaguars offensive line.

The Browns’ defense has suffocated the Jaguars so far in the matchup. Elliott contributed for one tackle. The Browns are currently beating the Jaguars 14-7 heading into halftime.

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Browns DT Jordan Elliott leaves game vs. Broncos with ankle injury

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Jordan Elliott exited the Broncos game with an ankle injury.

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Jordan Elliott left the game with an ankle injury against the Denver Broncos. Elliott was seen walking towards the locker room after stopping by the medical tent during the middle of the fourth quarter. Elliott has played well for the Cleveland Browns this season. He has become an integral part of the Browns’ defensive line rotation. Hopefully, Elliott will be able to return to face the Los Angeles Rams next week.

The Cleveland Browns need to leave Denver healthy after failing to win the contest. The Browns have suffered major injuries to the passing game as quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson suffered a concussion after a dirty hit. The Cleveland Browns also lost wide receiver Amari Cooper after he took a questionable shot to the ribs.

The injuries continue to pile up in Cleveland. How much more can this roster handle as they get into the meat of their schedule?

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Browns vs. Ravens: Jordan Elliott blocks Justin Tucker field goal

Another big play for the Browns’ special teams

The Browns’ special teams have been significantly better this season under new coordinator Bubba Ventrone.

For the second time this year the Browns have blocked a field goal and this time it was none other than Jordan Elliott, who got a hand on a Justin Tucker field goal attempt to keep the Ravens from adding to their lead.

What a great year it has been for Elliott who most, myself included, believed was a bust after his first three seasons. For all the love that defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Ventrone have received the play they have gotten out of Elliott has been their most impressive coaching jobs.

Credit should be given to linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., who had a solid return to set the team up for another field goal attempt. The Browns have battled in this first half after a really bad start with the pick-six and offensive struggles.

It is a one-score game at halftime — as Baltimore leads 17-9 — but with solid special teams and a defense stepping back up Cleveland still has a chance in this game.

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3 biggest surprises for the Browns halfway through the 2023 season

Who has impressed the most through 8 games?

We have hit the midway point of the NFL season and the Cleveland Browns are 5-3 despite some major injuries to key players. Nick Chubb hasn’t played since Week 2, Deshaun Watson has missed nearly four games, and Jack Conklin went down during the opener. Despite all of that, Kevin Stefanski has his team in the playoff race and within striking distance of first place in the division.

While plenty of players expected to play at a high level, there have been some surprises along the way that have really helped this team compete. Jim Schwartz has gotten the most out of his players and put them in situations to consistently succeed and make big plays.

Injuries are unfortunate but they also can open the doors for young players to step in and step up to the challenge. There are several players that have played some of their best football this year but here are the three that have surprised me the most.

Jordan Elliott plays a ton, Sione Takitaki gets MIKE reps, and more snap count takeaways from Browns vs. Bengals

What were the biggest takeaways from the snap count totals from Browns vs. Bengals?

The Cleveland Browns are 1-0 for the second straight season after taking down the defending AFC North champion Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 24-3 on Sunday. They now look to get off to a 2-0 start, and a 2-0 start in the division as well, as they are set to take on the banged-up Pittsburgh Steelers on national television on Monday night.

Before we turn the page to Steelers week, however, there is still more to review and analyze from this Week 1 beatdown. There is still all-22 to watch and breakdown, standouts to highlight, and in this article, snap counts to take a deep look at.

Snap counts have since been released for their win over the Bengals, and there are a few things that have caught my eye. Here are four takeaways that stood out from how the Browns used and rotated their personnel during the rainy Sunday affair against their interstate rivals.

Fixing the run defense: A deep dive into the defensive tackle room

Can the Browns finally solve their run defense woes this year?

The defensive tackle room for the Cleveland Browns has yet to find success under the Andrew Berry-Kevin Stefanski regime. The unit has faced constant turnover, with Jordan Elliott the only remaining player from last season. They hope the signing of Dalvin Tomlinson or the drafting of Siaki Ika can bring long-term stability

Elliott, one of Berry’s first draft picks, has played with nearly 15 different defensive tackles over his four-year career. The Browns desperately need stability in the middle of their defense. The late addition of Shelby Harris helped shore up an uninspiring unit.

The Browns’ horrible run defense cost the team many wins last year. It was an easily exploitable unit, mainly due to the defensive tackles. If the Cleveland Browns’ defense is to succeed this season, then the run defense will need to vastly improve the run defense. These are my biggest questions about the defensive tackle room’s short-term and long-term viability as run defenders.

Deep dive into the defensive tackle room before cutdowns

Determining who may stay and who may go in the Browns Defensive tackle room.

Before the cutdown day arrives for the Cleveland Browns, I wanted to take a quick look at the defensive tackle room, focusing specifically on the number of snaps the unit will see and how this could affect the building of the defensive tackle room led by free agent signing Dalvin Tomlinson. 

The signing of Shelby Harris a fortnight ago filled a large hole for the Browns. The Browns were able to acquire a veteran presence who can be counted on for 500 snaps over the season. This addition can let the Browns be more flexible when filling out the rest of the defensive tackle room. As of late, the Browns have rostered 5 defensive tackles during the season. 

The defensive tackles have averaged 2146 snaps over the last three seasons according to Pro Football Reference. The number of snaps has trended down every year, as the Browns prioritize playing three or four defensive ends in obvious passing situations. The Browns will likely use these “NASCAR” packages this season. Za’Darius Smith, the new Browns’ starting defensive end, is one of the most productive pass rushers when lined up over a guard or center. If the Browns remain reliant on defensive ends instead of defensive tackles, then the room should see a snap count under 2100 snaps. This could lead to the Browns only carrying four defensive tackles into the season. 

Andrew Berry rostered four defensive tackles in his first year. The 2020 defensive tackle room consisted of Sheldon Richardson, Larry Ogunjobi, Jordan Elliott, and Vincent Taylor. The group played 2,261 snaps, a team-high over the past three years. That was clearly too high of a workload for the group as the Browns have reduced the total amount of snaps while adding players to alleviate fatigue. Andrew Berry could roster only four defensive tackles again if the snap count and workload can be managed appropriately. This is how I see the defensive tackle room shaking out under that assumption. I included the amount of snaps played by each defensive tackle over the last three seasons.

Predicting 21 players the Browns will cut by Tuesday at 4 PM

The Browns have some more cuts to make.

The Cleveland Browns have already been busy as they have worked to get their roster down to 53 players. They have even made a trade to add a young running back to their room in Pierre Strong Jr. There is still work to be done, however, as players like defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and kicker Cade York hang out on the fringes of the roster.

They have already trimmed their roster to 76, but they still have to find 23 other players to cut before Tuesday’s deadline at 4 PM. Here are 21 players who will likely be cut in the process.

Podcast: Which Browns stood out and who struggled vs the Eagles?

Who helped their stock and who hurt it on Thursday night?

The Cleveland Browns have their third preseason game in the books as they tied the Eagles 18-18 on Thursday night. Wide receiver Austin Watkins Jr continues his great preseason as he made play after play. He showed great body control to adjust to the ball in the air to go along with nice physicality and route running.

Add Cedric Tillman to the mix and the team has some really tough decisions to make at the position. Another young player making a statement is linebacker Mohamoud Diabate who plays with great range and physicality and his athleticism makes for a good coverage linebacker as well.

The struggles of Cade York continue as he isn’t showing any signs that he is figuring something out. He continues to push the ball right and after getting a second chance at a game-winner he way overcorrected missing it wide left.

We go over these players in more detail in this week’s episode which you can watch by clicking here.

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Browns: 4 players who hurt their stock against the Washington Commanders

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows on Friday night

The preseason is now half over for the Cleveland Browns after the loss to the Washington Commanders Friday night by a score of 17-15. The majority of starters played for the team on Friday leaving fans excited and wanting more after several impressive performances. And then there were guys like Cade York and Joshua Dobbs.

Unfortunately, not everyone played well on Friday with several players including key contributors having bad nights. The backup offensive linemen weren’t as sharp as the week before that have led some to be worried about some of the depth there.

Here are the five players that hurt their stock the most in the Browns’ second preseason game.