BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Browns receiver Amari Cooper is questionable for Sunday’s game in Cincinnati.
Cooper suffered a hip injury during Thursday’s practice and he was unable to practice on Friday.
“Just did not feel like he was able to go today,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Just have to really take this one over the next couple of days and see where it lands.”
Cooper leads the Browns with 61 catches for 832 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Last week in Deshaun Watson’s debut, Cooper caught four passes for 40 yards. The two have been putting in extra work to refine their chemistry but lost a valuable day of work Friday.
“It is what it is in that regard,” Stefanski said. “I do think those guys have gotten a lot of reps together over the last months and going back to the spring and summer. Obviously, you would like to get them live reps today, but it is what it is.”
Ready or not – New linebacker Reggie Ragland sounds like he’s ready to play whenever he’s called upon but Kevin Stefanski did not seem so optimistic about putting him on the field Sunday in Cincinnati.
“He is probably still acclimating,” Stefanski said. “This is a new system for him. Excited about where he is. He is very, very smart. He has done a nice job throughout this week, but want to make sure that he is continuing to understand our defense, our terminology and those type of thigs.”
The Browns signed raglans off the Raiders practice squad earlier this week. Ragland has started 47 of 75 games and totaled 276 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and an interception.
“If they need me to now I could go,” Ragland said. “I've been playing football a long time, so it's really just mainly just finding where you fit at in the scheme and understanding where the safeties and everything come down from. Once you know that aspect of it you really can just play ball and play fast.
Whenever they call me, I'm going to be ready.”
Past his bedtime – Myles Garrett went to bed early thinking the Raiders had wrapped up Thursday night’s game in Los Angeles leading 16-3.
“I'm not going to lie. I didn't see it happening, so I went to sleep,” Garrett said. “But right before I went to sleep, I was with my [personal trainer] John. I said, maybe you should stay up. There’s a possibility he could bring them back. I’m like, you let me know in the morning. And so I wake up and there's a text waiting on me. He's like, you won't believe it. I said, yeah, I will.”
Mayfield helped engineer a 98 yards drive in the final two minutes to lead the Rams back from down 13 to win 17-16.
“I mean, it was [incredible],” Garrett said. “And going back to watch it, he was putting some dimes out there for guys to go get early on in the game and it was just that time until it clicked. So I have nothing against the guy now. I'm hoping for his success wherever he’s at, just not when he’s facing us.”
Injury report – QUESTIONABLE: Amari Cooper; EXPECTD TO PLAY: TE Pharoah Brown (illness), Chase Winovich (knee), WR David Bell (thumb), CB AJ Green (knee), OT James Hudson (illness), TE David Njoku (knee), CB Denzel Ward (ankle, illness), DE Myles Garrett (rest, shoulder), DE Alex Wright (knee)
Up next – Walk through Saturday; at Cincinnati Sunday