BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Browns are black and blue headed into Monday night’s game with the Bengals.
Tight end David Njoku, right guard Wyatt Teller and cornerback Denzel Ward are out while tight end Pharoah Brown, cornerbacks Greedy Williams and Greg Newsome II as well as linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah are questionable.
Ward will mis his third straight due to a concussion suffered October 9 against the Chargers.
“With all of those, you have to treat them so specifically to the player, to the symptoms and those type of things and really treat it day by day, and it does get treated like that,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “You check in every day and make sure that the person is progressing appropriately before they move on to the next part of that protocol.”
Njoku suffered a high ankle sprain in the third quarter at Baltimore last week and Teller will miss his second straight with a calf strain.
Brown was limited in practice Saturday after sitting out Thursday and Friday as he recovers from a concussion and neck injury.
Williams also returned to the practice field Saturday after being idle the previous two days due to an illness.
With Ward out, it’s not an ideal situation considering Bengals receivers Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd are just as dangerous as Ja’Marr Chase, who is out with a hip injury.
“It is one of those situations where you have to see who is available to you and you have to go play, and you have to go play our brand of football,” Stefanski said. “If those guys can’t go, the next man has to step up.”
Owusu-Koramoah has not practiced all week after suffering a knee injury in last week’s 23-20 loss at Baltimore.
“It is really we will see,” Stefanski said. “We will see how the next 48 hours go, how he responds to treatment and those type of things.”
Burying Burrow – Myles Garrett didn’t put up quarterback gravestones in his front yard this Halloween season for opposing quarterbacks, but his mission Monday night is still the same when it comes to Joe Burrow.
“I think our defense has had good games against the Bengals and Burrow and I think we know what it takes to really make him uncomfortable and get after him,” Garrett said. “And although he’s talented, love his family, but we’ve got to put him in the dirt.”
Burrow has thrown for 781 yards and six touchdowns the last two games combined and although he’ll be without his top target in Chase, Cincinnati’s offense will still be plenty potent.
“He gets it off pretty quick and he’s slipperier than you would give him credit for,” Garrett said. “He’s no Lamar, but he’s able to find escape routes when you don’t think there are any. And just how their offense works, RPOs, quicks and just that threat of the long ball just keeps you on your toes not really knowing exactly the best run for the moment, just kind of have to go with your gut feeling. So they’ve had trouble keeping him up in general, but the man himself is as talented as they come.”
They won’t say it, but the Browns are desperate at 2-5 and if they want to have a sliver of hope to resurrect their season, they have to win.
“I’m emptying the tank, all over the field,” Garrett said. “I want to lead by example here, on the field, not only on the practice field but on the Browns field. So whatever I have to do I’m hoping that they follow suit and do whatever they need to do in their roles to put this game away for us.”
Haeg to IR – The Browns placed offensive tackle Joe Haeg on injured reserve Saturday.
Haeg, who has been recovering from a concussion and practiced Thursday and Friday before sitting out Saturday, was ruled out for Monday prior to the move.
“I don’t know how to put it exactly, but he is still experiencing some symptoms, if you will,” Stefanski said prior to the move. “Just being very cautious and appropriate with that.”
Injury report – OUT: CB Denzel Ward (concussion), TE David Njoku (ankle), RG Wyatt Teller (calf); QUESTIONABLE: TE Pharoah Brown (concussion, neck), CB Greedy Williams (illness), LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (knee), CB Greg Newsome II (oblique); EXPECTED TO PLAY: DE Myles Garrett (shoulder, biceps), RT Jack Conklin (rest), DE Jadeveon Clowney (ankle, knee), LG Joel Bitonio (rest), WR David Bell (ankle), TE Harrison Bryant (thumb), WR Amari Cooper (rest)
Up next – Walkthrough Sunday; host Bengals Monday night.