BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Browns will be without their top cornerback for a second straight week, but the good news is that Cleveland’s bookend defensive ends appear ready to play.
Denzel Ward was ruled out along with right guard Wyatt Teller and offensive lineman Joe Haag, but it appears that Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney are good to go for Sunday’s showdown in Baltimore.
Clowney is listed as questionable, but Garrett sounded optimistic they both will play.
“I’m feeling good enough to play,” Garrett said. “I know JD is, too, so we’ll both be looking forward to going out there and making a difference.”
Garrett underwent additional examination on his sprained left shoulder, suffered during a one-car accident on September 26. Last week Garrett aggravated the injury in the fourth quarter while collecting his second sack of the day and he did not return.
With the season teetering on the edge of collapse, Garrett feels the pressure to dial up the intensity on the field.
“I’ve got to find a way to be more productive,” Garrett said. “There are plays always left out there that can change the game, so I’ve got to keep on trying to find a way to make those, and whether I free myself up to make those plays or I free my teammates up to do that, someone has to make those. So just finding the best way as to apply pressure and create those game-changing plays.”
As for Clowney, Garrett al but gave him a clean bill of health.
“I mean, he’s looked good to me, especially today,” Garrett said. “He was rolling, he was happy, he was smiling, jumping around, dancing. It’s the best I've seen him move in a couple of weeks. With that kind of energy he’s bringing, I know that Sunday's going to be a good look for him.”
Ward and Haag remain sidelined with concussions while Teller suffered a calf injury last week against the Patriots.
Froholdt filling in – With Teller sidelined, the Browns will turn to Hjalte Froholdt to step in at right guard and make his first NFL start.
“It’s a great opportunity to come in and get my first start and all of that but [I’m] surrounded by some great players,” Froholdt said. “Wyatt’s helped me out throughout the week as well sitting in meetings and tidbits and all of that stuff so yeah, feel really good about going out there and competing.”
The Browns signed Froholdt, a 2019 fourth round pick by the Patriots, off the Texans practice squad last October and he’s stuck here as a reserve or member of the practice squad since.
He seamlessly stepped in last week when Teller departed thanks to the help of veteran right tackle Jack Conklin and center Ethan Pocic.
“They’ve probably been in every single situation so it’s good to be around those guys that whenever you’re in a stressful situation they seem very calm and it rubs off on you as well so you’re like okay, it’s just football,” Froholdt said.
Ready to roll – Linebacker Deion Jones feels ready to make his Browns debut Sunday.
“Yeah I'm ready. Ready to go,” Jones said Friday.
“I think I should get a little spin. We'll see what's up.”
Jones was officially acquired from the Falcons on October 10 to replace veteran Anthony Walker, who was lost for the season after he suffered a torn quadriceps against the Steelers in Week 3.
“He has a lot of savvy from being in a different place,” Garrett said. “He’s learned different things, picked up a couple of things and working with our defense but also having the experience and coaching that he has from other places, he’ll be able to fit in pretty easily, not only his-coverage wise and also to teaching that to some of the guys here with his experience and I think that invaluable to share his knowledge and pass on how he plays things and how he's able to fly around and make plays as well.”
The hope is that Jones will help shore up the middle of the Browns defense, which has struggled in recent weeks with Walker going down.
“I think the team just made it easy for me to gel,” Jones said. “They're welcoming, they make sure I know where everything was, getting me acclimated. Like I said, they just welcomed me in and made the transition a lot easier.”
Showtime – Earlier in the week Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said, “We're ready to go out there and put on a show” against the Browns Sunday “because we're so mad.”
Friday, Garret, who will be tasked with containing and then trying to bring Jackson down, responded.
“We’re trying to put on a show too,” Garrett said. “So as far as our defense we're trying to rock out and have a great game against them as well. We both know they’re just competitors. It’s just about who’s going to be able to execute and get each other out of each other’s game plan.”
Banged up birds – The Ravens are a bit beat up heading into the game Sunday.
Running back J.K. Dobbins was ruled out with a knee injury and ESPN reported Dobbins will miss 4-6 weeks and require a knee scope.
Among seven players that are questionable are tight end Mark Andrews with a knee injury and receiver Rashod Bateman, who was limited all week with a foot injury.
The last word – After Joel Bitonio told the story Thursday about biting into shrapnel from a bullet while enjoying duck that Thomas hunted during a thanksgiving meal, the Browns future Hall of Famer responded on Twitter.
So we caught up with Bitonio Friday afternoon to give him a chance to rebut Thomas’ claim.
“It wasn’t at his house,” Bitonio said. “I can’t remember the name of the restaurant; we were at a restaurant. It was his duck that he caught, and the restaurant cooked it for us. And you can ask my wife, we’re not real big on Twitter but there was definitely a bullet in my mouth at some point. It wasn’t a whole bullet. It was a little shrapnel piece but [it was] his duck, not his house, not Thanksgiving. It was a different time but it was definitely his duck.
“He’s probably fighting against a wall because I don’t go on Twitter that much so I don’t even know if I saw anything [he said], but yes, it was his duck.”
Injury report – OUT: OT Joe Haeg (concussion), RG Wyatt Teller (calf), CB Denzel Ward (concussion); QUESTIONABLE: DE Jadeveon Clowney (ankle, knee), DE Isaac Rochell (knee); EXPECTED TO PLAY: DE Myles Garrett (shoulder, biceps), RT Jack Conklin (ankle), DE Alex Wright (quad, glute), LG Joel Bitonio (rest), WR Amari Cooper (rest), LB Tony Fields (illness), TE David Njoku (rest)
Up next – Walk through and travel Saturday to Baltimore; at Ravens Sunday.