BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Jadeveon Clowney’s right ankle is still heavily taped but he’s getting closer to returning.
Clowney still wasn’t able to practice Thursday but he’s not ruling himself out for Sunday’s game against the Chargers just yet.
“I want to [play] bad,” Clowney said.
“Of course, just take it one day at a time right now, rehab and letting the day take its course, try to get out there, get it going, miss playing and I'm ready to be back.”
Clowney sprained his ankle in the third quarter of a 31-30 loss to the Jets on September 18 and he’s not practiced or played since.
“I couldn't put no weight on my foot at the time, it was like, I wish I could go back out here, but I couldn't bend it and I was really down about it,” Clowney said.
“I've just got to get this rehab process going. This is not my first rodeo, not my first time, my ninth year, so I know how injuries happen for anybody, just do what you do to prepare yourself after that and get back, that's the biggest thing.”
The Browns elected not to put Clowney on injured reserve, which would’ve cost him at least four games, in the hopes his recovery would not take that long.
Clowney finds himself walking a fine line between his desire to play and coming back before his ankle is ready for him to.
“That's what I'm in between now, come back too early and hurt myself for the rest of the season,” Clowney said. “I want to be out there with my teammates more than anything and I love to play the game, so it's fun. I don't have fun when I'm hurt, nobody does, training, rehab, just coming to work and knowing that every day is boring. Just trying to help myself, come in, put the hours in and try to get better so I can get back out there fast with my teammates.”
Clowney was able to avoid major injury last year, his first with the Browns that seemed to reenergize him. He admitted this latest injury has zapped a little of that from him but he’s doing his best to remain positive.
“It’s like a minor setback for a major comeback really for this,” Clowney said. “This ain’t nothing major, but it did keep me out. I didn’t break nothing or anything, but it does have me out and still rehabbing to get back, but I should be back well very soon and back to my old tricks.”
Moment of thanks – Much like the entire organization and every player within the locker room, Clowney was grateful Myles Garrett avoided serious injury following his one-car accident September 26 in Sharon Township.
“I told him if something would have happened to him, I don't know how it would have went well with this locker room or this team, if we would have been still playing or not,” Clowney said. “He's a big part of this team, great guy to have around, very good friend in the locker room, got nothing to do with a football, he's just a good dude and you don't want nothing to happen to anyone you know or anybody like that, so I was praying for him and glad he's back.”
Garett was all smiles Wednesday as he returned from practice after suffering a sprained left shoulder and strained right biceps in the crash.
“I always see that with him, he's always been happy since I met him about this game, being around teammates and football,” Clowney said. “It's great to have that energy in the locker room.”
After staying home last weekend, Garrett could play Sunday against the Chargers.
“It's just great to see that he's healthy and that he's happy and that we can just have him around the building again,” cornerback Greg Newsome II said. “Forget football, as long as he's healthy, we're happy. Just to see him back on the field doing the things that he loves, it's definitely great to have him back out there.”
Thankfully Garrett and his passenger were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident, which played a big role in both escaping serious injury. It was a lesson and reminder for everyone.
“I told him, man, you've got me putting my seat belt on in the morning,” Clowney said. “Sometimes, you're younger, you hop in that car, we just take off and don't put that seat belt on sometimes. I hopped in this morning, I'm like, I'm going to put my seat belt on, I don't even be speeding, I'm just putting my seat belt on.
“He's blessed to be here. He's blessed. The little car he was driving, for him to come out with nothing really wrong with him is a blessing. Just happy he made it back. Drive safe, it's crazy.”
Sneaky guy – Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett is among the best in the business at quarterback sneaks.
“It is just part of my game, I guess. I don’t know. You just go get a yard,” Brissett said.
“For the most part. I just tell myself to go get it. The guys up front do a really good job of getting surge, and just finding the cracks. We only need to get one [yard]. I am 6’4” so I will get one yard laying down.”
Brissett remains perfect this season converting on the short yardage situations with QB keepers but it’s not just all him. The offensive line has gotten sufficient push and created enough space for Brissett to tuck the ball and drive forward for first downs.
“I don’t know how much he quite weighs but he’s a big dude,” left guard Joel Bitonio said. “I joke with him sometimes ‘Oh you could’ve played some D-end for us this week’ and stuff like that, but no. You got Po [center Ethan Pocic] in the middle. He’s a big anchor. You know Wyatt and myself, the tackles do a good job. We kind of disguise it sometimes in different formations as well. But really, it’s just low pad level, drive your feet, understand what’s the point of the sneak but Jacoby does a great job of if they close off the A gaps, he’ll sneak out of the B gap or if there’s something open, he can make a play.”
Quote of the day – “It’s the NFL, everything’s overblown. It’s a week-to-week, you know what I mean? You win a game, you’re going to the Super Bowl, you lose a game and you’re the worst team in the league.” Bitonio
Injury report – DNP: DE Jadeveon Clowney (ankle), RT Jack Conklin (rest); LIMITED: LG Joel Bitonio (biceps/rest), DT Taven Bryan (hamstring), TE Harrison Bryant (illness), DT Jordan Elliott (knee), DE Myles Garrett (shoulder, biceps), LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (groin), CB Denzel Ward (back/ribs); FULL: WR Amari Cooper (rest), OT Joe Haeg (concussion) TE David Njoku (knee/rest), DE Isaiah Thomas (hand)
Up next – Practice Friday.