CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Another work week began without the Browns knowing who will start at quarterback Sunday.
Here’s our top Brownie Bites as the quarterback carousel continues to spin.
Who will it be now – Rookie Doran Thompson-Robinson returned to practice, but Joe Flacco was first in line to take reps Wednesday during the portion of practice open to reporters. Head coach Kevin Stefanski wouldn’t say who will start against the Jaguars. “We'll see how it goes this week,” Stefanski said. “Dorian's still in the protocol, but he's working his way through.” Thompson-Robinson suffered a concussion November 26 at Denver and the Browns signed Flacco to the practice squad six days earlier. Flacco started last week against the Rams where he completed 23 of 44 passes for 254 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in a 36-19 loss. “It was fun to watch, you know, as a player and as a fan of his game, just seeing him able to make those throws and at times where we needed him,” running back Jerome Ford, who caught a 24-yard touchdown, said. “It was fun to watch.” For as impressive as Flacco was, Stefanski – at least publicly – isn’t ready to say he is giving the job to Flacco. “We’ll make that decision at the appropriate time, but I want to see know this week goes,” Stefanski said. It doesn’t sound like the Browns have a starting quarterback going forward as they enter the stretch run. “I think for us, we really have to – as you’ve seen throughout this season, you really have to worry about the week you’re in and focus on the week you’re in, and that’s really what we’re going to do,” Stefanski said. “We’ve talked every week, it’s how do you win this game? That’s what you’re focused on.”
Award winning Walker – Linebacker Anthony Walker was named the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee for his work in the community and Ed Bock Courage Award recipient after returning from a torn quadriceps tendon that ended his 2022 season on Tuesday. “You see growing up, you see Super Bowls, you see NFL MVP, all that stuff, but the Man of the Year is something that kind of sticks with you a little longer” Walker said. “That legacy that you want to leave in the community and stuff like that. So very thankful for that. The Ed Block Courage Award, obviously not an award that you want to be up for, means you got hurt and you got to come back from injury, but I think I’m stronger from it, and that’s a testament to my teammates, honestly, me being here every day with those guys last year, going through rehab, those guys really got me through. So, I’m very thankful to those guys and for their nomination for that award as well.” Stefanski opened his press conference by praising Walker’s work ethic, dedication and leadership making him worthy of both awards. “Incredible influence on this football team, in the locker room, on the field, and then in our community,” Stefanski said. “I think he does an amazing job, sets a great example for all of our players on how to be a pro, how to make an impact – again, both on your football team and on your community.” The Stefanski joked about the impact of Walker bouncing back from a bout of food poisoning last week in L.A. “He was out of practice last week, last Wednesday, and just to overcome ordering oysters on DoorDash, think about how hard that is to overcome,” Stefanski said with a smile. “And he did. I don’t know if that factored into the voting by his teammates, but I just want to acknowledge that fact.” Walker contributes to multiple causes while also serving as the ambassador for the Browns’ ‘Stay in the Game’ school attendance initiative. The team posted video of cornerback Greg Newsome approaching Walker with a bogus question before revealing Walker is the Man of the Year setting off a celebration in the locker room. “I think the biggest respect you can have in this game is your peers. And my teammates, obviously love all those guys,” Walker said. “Greg really got me on that one. I told him that. But obviously just thankful for this opportunity, for this team. The guys, obviously, sometimes they like me, sometimes they don’t, but obviously it’s all love. At the end of the day, they understand that. They understand that I try to be the same guy every day, that I try to be a team first guy every day and handle my job on and off the field. When you have that respect of your peers and they see you do it every day, that’s what it leads to.”
Ward returns – Cornerback Denzel Ward returned to practice Wednesday. Ward indicated as he left the locker room he would be on the field after missing the previous two games due to a shoulder injury. “He makes a huge impact on our football team,” Stefanski said. “So [we] get him back out at practice today, see how he does.” Ward was limited Wednesday according to the team and his absence on Sundays has strained the secondary. “Anytime you have a Pro Bowl player like Denzel, man, you’re going to miss him,” safety Grant Delpit said. “Just the stuff that he brings to the table, his leadership, his play on the field is remarkable this year. So he feeling healthy. I don’t know if he’ll be back this week, but we could for sure use him.”
The hardest catch – Jerome Ford struggled to keep his feet as he got into the end zone after Flacco found him wide open Sunday in L.A. “You know those wide-open passes, they say are the hardest to catch,” Ford said. “And in my head I’m just thinking, don’t drop the ball. So I make sure I secured the ball.” It was Ford’s third receiving TD this season and he’s rushed for three others. Ford has been limited to just nine carries the last two games and that has happened four times since taking over as the lead back following the loss of Nick Chubb for the season in Week 2, but like Chubb, he isn’t going to beg for the ball. “I haven’t really paid attention to it,” Ford said. “Like I said before, in the past, whenever I jersey call whatever play it is, we just go out there and run it and maybe at the end of the season or end of the game, we’ll look at the passes versus the runs, but I feel like we’re pretty balanced team.” The forecast is calling for sloppy conditions in the rain so possibly an opportunity to keep the ball on the ground awaits.” “It’s going to be a physical and tough game,” Ford said. “And with that run defense and the way we run the ball, we’re gonna have to get [the] job done often.”
Counting ballots – The NFL released the first round of Pro Bowl voting results and a pair of Browns are the leading vote getters at their positions in the AFC – Myles Garrett at defensive end and kicker Dustin Hopkins.
Designated to return – The Browns designated cornerback Cameron Mitchell for return from injured reserve Wednesday. Mitchell, selected in the fifth-round in April, appeared in the first eight games with one start before suffering a hamstring injury and was placed on injured reserve on November 7.
Injury report – DNP: LG Joe Bitonio (rest, knee), WR Amari Cooper (concussion, ribs), DE Myles Garrett(rest, shoulder), RB Kareem Hunt (groin), DT Maurice Hurst (groin), TE David Njok (rest, knee), S Juan Thornhill (calf); LIMITED: WR Marquise Goodwin (concussion), C Nick Harris (knee), DT Shelby Harris (Achilles), CB Cameron Mitchell, DE Ogbo Okoronkwo (foot, groin), RG Wyatt Teller (calf), QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (concussion), CB Denzel Ward (shoulder); FULL: OT Geron Christian (finger)